At A Glance

at a glance

What is fair trade?

Fair trade empowers marginalized producers to improve their own living conditions. With the proper resources, capacity, and access to key relationships, disadvantaged producers can earn their own means to a better life for themselves and their communities.

Fair trade principles include a fair price paid for the product, ethical working conditions, environmental sustainability, long term business relationships with producers, and a portion of fair trade premiums going to support community initiatives.

Who is Fair Trade Calgary?

Fair Trade Calgary is a group under the non for profit organization Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Calgary that are working to increase awareness and encourage availability of fair trade products in Calgary.

What is the Vision of Fair Trade Calgary?

Fair Trade Calgary would like ethical purchasing to be an everyday choice for Calgarians, with fair trade products easily accessible at stores and restaurants across the City and the general public knowledgeable about the global impact of buying fair trade products locally.

What is the 2017 Fair Trade Calgary + All About?

Fair Trade Calgary’s mission in 2017 is to help Calgary achieve Fair Trade Town Status. Fair Trade Town is a designation that acknowledges the leadership and commitment of Canadian Municipalities to fair trade. Only products and producers can be certified Fairtrade.

There are 25 Fair Trade towns across Canada at present, including three Fair Trade Towns in Alberta (Olds, Canmore and Edmonton).

Requirements for Fair Trade Town status for a city the size of Calgary

Establishment of a Steering Committee
At least 133 businesses and restaurants offer at least two Fairtrade certified products
At least 59 schools and social groups support fair trade
Ongoing public awareness, education and events
Municipal Government support.
Recognition all of the good work that is being done across the city to support fair trade, even outside of products that carry the Fairtrade mark.

FAIR PAY FOR FARMERS

Farmers, artisans
and producers are empowered
to grow their businesses,
through more direct trading relationships.
This results in a fairer portion of profits going back to the producer.

BETTER COMMUNITIES

Farmers, artisans and producers receive a fair trade premium that is
democratically invested back into their community and other local initiatives.

BETTER CONDITIONS

Fair trade products are
made in safe and healthy working conditions, and environmentally sustainable practices are employed.
No child labour, no slave labour,
no GMO, and less pesticides.

A BETTER WORLD

More than 3000 Fair Trade grassroots
organizations in 60 countries, working
with over a million small-scale workers,

Fair Trade products are sold in thousands of shops, and in
a growing number of traditional
supermarkets, shops and restaurants,
all around the World!

Both the Canadian Fair Trade Network (CFTN) and Fairtrade Canada support Fair Trade Calgary's Campaign to achieve Fair Trade Town status.

To learn more about these national organizations, please check out the links below:

The Canadian Fair Trade Network

Fairtrade Canada