Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Help Make Berkeley a Fair Trade Town!

Fair Trade Towns USA is a national movement uniting community activists dedicated to the principles of Fair Trade. By organizing our communities at the local level we are able to make a tangible impact on the U.S. market!

Fair Trade is a market driven approach to decrease inequality across nations and feed local communities. The Fair Trade market approach requires consumer demand for Fair Trade products. So, ask for the Fair Trade logo when you shop at Berkeley stores such as Berkeley Bowl, Global Exchange and Whole Foods Market.

When you purchase products with the Fair Trade Certified ™ label, it means that the rights and wages of producers, artisans and farmers are being protected and upheld in the transactions that brought your coffee, bananas, tea, chocolate, and textiles from abroad.

To be recognized as a Fair Trade Town, City, or Community in the United States, the following criteria need to be met:

* Form a steering committee

* Conduct outreach to area retailers

* Engage the community

* Gain Media Attention

* Pass a Fair Trade Resolution

Buy Local, Buy Fair is the importance and understanding behind sourcing our food locally. But being "local leaning" doesn't mean that we have to give up bananas, tea, coffee and chocolate. For the things we can't source here, it is important to pay a fair price to the communities and workers who produce them.

Interested in helping to make Berkeley a Fair Trade Town? Visit the Fair Trade Berkeley site to join and learn!

Join the movement and follow us on Twitter at @FTBerkeley and friend us on Facebook at Fair Trade Berkeley!

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