Fair Trade Nation Standards
If we really mean to change the world around us for the better, it’s going to require leadership by example. We want our government to be a global leader in promoting fair trade and sustainability. We want to our government to unite its ambition to become a fair trade leader with the work already being done today. By becoming a Fair Trade Nation, Canada can align its priorities with Agenda 2030. The work needs to be broad-based within Canadian Parliament, and it needs to set high targets to show that the government is serious about the issue. We can look towards Scotland, Wales and Sweden for inspiration.
We want to see the Canadian Parliament table and pass a bill endorsing Canada becoming a Fair Trade Nation.
During this process we want to see the federal government work toward the following objectives:
- Encourage municipalities to become Fair Trade Towns, Universities and Colleges to become Fair Trade Campuses, and Schools to become Fair Trade Schools (see Focus Area 1 of Pillar 1).
- Adopt sustainable federal purchasing to ensure fair trade products are sourced across a range of product areas. (see Focus Area 1 of Pillar 4)
- Direct official development assistance (ODA) spending to fair trade co-ops (see Focus Area 2 of Pillar 4)
- Rethink how Canada negotiates trade agreements. Build social and environmental protections into trade policies (See Focus Area 3 of Pillar 4)
- Encourage provinces to follow suit, in becoming Fair Trade Provinces.