Fairtrade Canada Celebrates Fairtrade Month, Educates Shoppers on Fairer Trading

Throughout May, Fairtrade Canada – the Canadian chapter of Fairtrade International, a recognized label for social justice and sustainability – will celebrate the farmers, workers, brands, retailers and advocates who make up the Fairtrade system during their Fairtrade Month campaign.

The month-long campaign will answer the question “Why Fairtrade?”

Fair Trade Month May - 2022
Herkulu Tea Estate, Tanzania (Photo: Courtesy of Fairtrade Canada)

Around the world, many small-scale farmers and workers live on less than $2 a day, according to Fairtrade Canada. The organization 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, an independent research and strategy consultancy, 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 (see footnote). The same study found 75 percent 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.

“Fairtrade Month is the perfect time for people to commit to supporting the farmers and workers responsible for the goods we enjoy every day like coffee, chocolate, and bananas,” said Julie Francoeur, CEO of Fairtrade Canada. “At Fairtrade, we are working to create a world in which all farmers and workers enjoy secure and sustainable livelihoods and believe that a decent standard of living, one that covers basic needs and supports an existence worthy of human dignity, is a human right.”

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Products from leading brands – such as Café William, Kicking Horse Coffee, Level Ground Coffee, Love Crunch Organic, Marley Coffee, Nature’s Path Organic, Prana, Tentree and many others – carry the Fairtrade mark by sourcing Fairtrade certified ingredients like tea, coffee, cocoa and cotton.

These brands, along with many other Canadian brands sourcing Fairtrade ingredients, will participate in Fairtrade Month, celebrating their partnership with Fairtrade Canada, the community that supports them, and their commitment to farmers and workers in the Global South. You can find a full list here of retailers and brands offering deals in honor of Fairtrade Month.

Throughout the month of May, consumers can participate in online giveaways, take advantage of retailer promotions, and learn more about Fairtrade through resources including the organization’s website and Instagram page @FairtradeCanada.

More than 1,700 retailers across Canada – including Sobeys, Metro, Longo’s and London Drugs – will be offering discounts on various Fairtrade certified products.

When you see the Fairtrade mark on packaging, it means that brand is committed to fairer trading conditions and respecting people and planet.

To learn more about Fairtrade Canada, visit Fairtrade.ca. To learn more about Fairtrade International, visit Fairtrade.net.

Footnote: GlobeScan Fairtrade Consumer Insights 2021 Canada Report

Plan to Attend or Participate in the
World Tea Conference + Expo, March 27-29, 2023

To learn about other key developments, trends, issues, hot topics and products within the global tea community, plan to attend the World Tea Conference + Expo, March 27-29, 2023 in Las Vegas, co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo. Visit WorldTeaExpo.com.

To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the World Tea Conference + Expo, contact:

Veronica Gonnello​
(for companies A to G)​
e: [email protected]
p: 212-895-8244

​Tim Schultz
​(for companies H to Q)​
e: [email protected]
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Fadi Alsayegh
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​e: [email protected]
p: 917-258-5174​

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