Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Berkeley Fair Trade Fair


Last week hundreds of UC Berkeley Students and members of the Berkeley community showed their love for Fair Trade at the Berkeley Fair Trade Fair. The Fair consisted of several booths with chocolate sampling, free T-shirts and general information about Fair Trade Certified. Among the Fair Trade representatives were TransFair USA, Alter Eco, Theo Chocolate, Divine Chocolate and the UC Berkeley Fair Trade Club. While students and passerbys spent time tasting a variety of Fair Trade Certified chocolates and signing petitions to help Berkeley become a Fair Trade Town, others were busy signing one of the largest Valentine's Day cards anyone has ever seen.

By signing the card, people were able to show their love and support for Fair Trade in a big way. Not only was the giant heart quite a spectacle on campus, but it now sits in Berkeley's City Hall as a testament to the government's commitment to the Fair Trade Town campaign. The Mayor of Berkeley Tom Bates proudly accepted the card (and a little Fair Trade Certified chocolate), and then posed for a photo-op with the Fair Trade Berkeley team!

All in all the day was a great success. The fair was a wonderful way to spread awareness about Fair Trade, to promote Fair Trade certified products, and to gain support for the movement right here in Berkeley.