Make your town (or city) a Fair Trade Town

Make your town (or city) a Fair Trade Town

I went to grad school in Brattleboro, Vermont, and I was thrilled when I heard that I was living in an official Fair Trade Town.  But to be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant.  What does it take to be a Fair Trade Town?

Fair Trade Towns USA is an initiative of TransFair USA, the Fair Trade Federation, and the Fair Trade Resource Network that encourages community activists to organize fair trade campaigns at the local level.  The process for becoming a Fair Trade Town, City, or Community consists of meeting five criteria designed to establish a recognized presence in the community for long-term outreach and advocacy for Fair Trade:

1. Form a steering committee
2. Outreach to area retailers and ensure enough fair trade shopping options
3. Engage the community
4. Gain media attention
5. Pass a Fair Trade Resolution

    You can learn more about making your town a Fair Trade Town here. GREAT NEWS!!  Grants at the $500, $1000, and $5000 levels are available to help launch or grow your Fair Trade Town campaign.  See the Fair Trade Towns USA Small Grants Program FAQ and the Fair Trade Towns USA Small Grants Proposal Guidelines for more info.

    There are currently 17 Fair Trade Towns in the US.


    Media, PA – June 2006
    Brattleboro, VT – June 2007
    Milwaukee, WI – October 2007
    Amherst, MA – November 2007
    Taos, NM – March 2008
    Northampton, MA – April 2008
    San Francisco, CA – May 2008
    Montclair, NJ — October 2008
    Ballston Spa, NY — January 2009
    Chico, CA — February 2009
    Bluffton, OH — May 2009
    Burlington, VT– August 2009
    Highland Park, NJ — September 2009
    Buena Vista, CO — March 2010
    Red Bank, NJ — April 2010
    Madison, WI — May 2010
    Norman, OK — May 2010


    Get involved and make your town a Fair Trade Town!