Celebrate Fair Trade Fortnight with Fairtrade Canada's "Take A Step" Campaign

This is the time to celebrate the benefits of Fair Trade!

Fair Trade Fortnight, running from May 1­ to 15, is an opportunity to learn about and/or spread awareness of Fair Trade in your homes and local communities.

As part of this year’s Fair Trade Fortnight, Fairtrade Canada and its partner organizations across the country have launched their official “Take A Step” campaign, part of the larger campaign started by the Fairtrade Labelling Organization. The campaign encourages Canadians to visit the official Take A Step website and register their Fair Trade steps with their new Step-O-Meter. These steps can be as simple as trying a new Fair Trade product or they can be an attempt at creating greater change—participating in Fair Trade initiatives within a local community, business, or organization. Fairtrade Canada hopes to reach 150,000 steps by the end of the year.

“This campaign is a chance for people to see the kind of impact even small steps can have,” says Sean McHugh, executive director of Fair Trade Vancouver. “Something as simple as buying one Fair Trade banana becomes significant when 150,000 other people are doing the exact same thing. It’s a step that could have a huge impact on the lives of producers and their families in the developing world, and this campaign is trying to help people to see that.”

Fairtrade is a form of certification that allows producers to get a better deal. This can mean better prices, which can lead to fair wages, reasonable working conditions, and community development. It also means developing more meaningful and longer-term trading relationships. For consumers, it’s important to recognize how our choices can have impacts on the world and its developing communities. 

For information on Fair Trade Fortnight events, check with one of your local community organizations, or visit a local health food retailer for special promotions on Fairtrade certified products.