Throughout May, Fairtrade Canada executed its campaign to raise awareness for the farmers, workers, brands, retailers, and advocates who make up the Fairtrade system during its Fairtrade Month campaign. The month-long campaign was aimed at answering the question: “Why Fairtrade? Because It’s Only Fair.”
Fairtrade aims to break down the systems that trap farmers and workers in cycles of poverty and empower them to have more control over their lives and decide how to invest in their future. For the nearly two million farmers and workers who participate in Fairtrade and grow our food, Fairtrade stands for a fairer world through improved income stability; the opportunity to join forces with other producers; resources to improve yields; gender equality for all producers; as well as quality-of-life benefits, such as investment in their communities.
According to a 2021 study from GlobeScan, eight in 10 Canadians who know the fairtrade mark agree that by buying Fairtrade they feel part of a community standing up for fairness and justice. The same study found that 75 per cent of Canadians who know the mark believe that it is even more important to support Fairtrade in building a better economy for all following the COVID pandemic.
Some of the brands represented include Café William, Kicking Horse Coffee, Level Ground Coffee, Love Crunch Organic, Marley Coffee, Nature’s Path Organic, and Prana carry the fairtrade mark.
Worth noting are Kicking Horse Coffee and Level Ground Coffee—both are celebrating 25 years in business and have been paying fair prices for coffee since 1997. These brands demonstrate how business can thrive all whilst respecting human rights and protecting the environment,” according to a spokesperson for Fairtrade Canada.
The full list of retailers and brands offering deals in honour of Fairtrade Month can be seen here.
