About us

Garstang, the world's first Fair Trade Town - April 2000
After almost a decade of campaigning on Fair Trade and other international development issues the local Oxfam Group in Garstang, UK had an idea. They invited all the key community players; the mayor, heads of schools, faith group leaders and business owners to a meal and asked them to sign a pledge to buy and use Fair Trade and local produce. With the mayor, all the schools and faith groups and eventually 95% of all businesses signing the pledge the people of Garstang declared their town the world's first Fair Trade Town at a Public Meeting in April 2000. George Foulkes MP, former Under Secretary of State later said: “The beacon that has started in Garstang can spread like wildfire through the whole country and beyond.” Nobody at the time could have predicted how prophetic those words would prove to be.
Welcome to the home of the international Fair Trade Town movement. Communities across the world are working to promote Fair Trade in their area, in order to enable more farmers and workers to get a better deal. In the process many communities are meeting goals to become recognised as a Fair Trade Town. Here, you can become involved and share resources and top tips from over 2 000 Fair Trade Town campaigns in 30 countries across the globe.
National FT Town Campaigns - 2 000 Fair Trade Towns in 30 countries
Country | Initiative | Number of FT Towns | 1st Fair Trade Town | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|
UK | Fairtrade Towns | 635 | Garstang (April 2000) | website |
The Republic of Ireland | Fairtrade Towns | 48 | Clonakilty (September 2003) | website |
Belgium (Flanders) | Fair Trade Gemeenten | 199 | Ghent (July 2005) | website |
Belgium (Wallonia + Brussels) | Communes du commerce équitable* | 40 | Bruxelles-Ville (July 2006) | website |
Italy | Città Equosolidali | 46 | Rome (October 2005) | website |
Sweden | Fairtrade City | 72 | Malmö (May 2006) | website |
Australia | Fair Trade Communities | 8 | Yarra, Melbourne (May 2006) | website |
USA | Fair Trade Towns USA | 45 | Media, Pennsylvania (July 2006) | website |
Norway | Fairtrade-Kommune | 37 | Sauda (August 2006) | website |
Canada | Fair Trade Towns | 26 | Wolfville, Nova Scotia (April 2007) | website |
Austria | FAIRTRADE-Gemeinden | 198 | Wieden, Wr. Neustadt, Mönichkirchen (May 2007) | website |
Spain | Ciudad por el Comercio Justo | 18 | Cordoba (April 2008) | website |
Finland | Reilun kaupan kaupunki | 15 | Tampere (August 2009) | website |
Denmark | Fair Trade Cities | 1 | Odense (October 2010) | website |
Brazil | Cidade de Comercio Justo - Fair Trade City | 3 | Poços de Caldas (2012) | |
The Netherlands | Fairtrade Gemeente | 85 | Groningen/Goes (March 2009) | website |
Germany | Kampagne Fairtrade Towns | 586 | Saarbrücken (April 2009) | website |
Costa Rica | Latin American Fair Trade Towns | 1 | Pérez Zeledón (October 2009) | website |
New Zealand | Fair Trade Communities NZ | 4 | Wellington & Dunedin (November 2009) | |
Luxembourg | Fairtrade Gemeng | 29 | Differdange (March 2011) | website |
Japan | Fair Trade Towns | 4 | Kumamoto (June 2011) | website |
Ghana | Fair Trade Towns | 2 | New Koforidua (June 2011) | |
Czech Republic | Fairtradová města | 12 | Litomerice/Vsetin (September 2011) | website |
Poland | Spolecznosci Przyjazne dla Sprawiedliwego Handlu | 2 | Poznan (November 2012) | website |
Lebanon | Fair Trade Towns | 9 | Menjez (May 2013) | website |
Estonia | Fairtrade Towns | 1 | Hiiu District (November 2014) | |
France | Territoires de commerce équitable | 31 | Paris, Lyon + 12 others (November 2009) | website |
Switzerland | Fair Trade Towns | 6 | Glarus Nord (February 2016) | website |
Cameroon | Territoire de Commerce Equitable | 1 | Ebolowa (November 2015) | |
Equador | Ciudades y Pueblos Por El Comercio Justo | 2 | Riobamba (October 2016) | website |
South Korea | Korea Fair Trade Towns | 4 | Bucheon, Incheon (2017) | |
Chile | Ciudades y Pueblos Por El Comercio Justo | website | ||
Honduras | Ciudades y Pueblos Por El Comercio Justo | website | ||
Paraguay | Ciudades y Pueblos Por El Comercio Justo | 1 | Arroyos y Esteros (May 2018) | website |
India | Fair Trade Towns India | 2 | Pondicherry& Auroville twin FTT (August 2017) | |
Taiwan | Fair Trade City Campaign | 1 | Taipei (April 2018) |
Country | Initiative | National Coordinator | Website |
---|---|---|---|
UK | Fairtrade Towns | Adam Gardner | website |
The Republic of Ireland | Fairtrade Towns | Melanie Drea | website |
Belgium (Flanders) | Fair Trade Gemeenten | Lothar Boeykens | website |
Belgium (Wallonia + Brussels) | Communes du commerce équitable* | Sophie Duponcheel | website |
Italy | Città Equosolidali | Cristina Sossan & Stefano Toma This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | website |
Sweden | Fairtrade City | Anneli Örtqvist & Johanna Lidholm | website |
Australia | Fair Trade Communities | Andrea Klek | website |
USA | Fair Trade Towns USA | Billy Linstead Goldsmith | website |
Norway | Fairtrade-Kommune | Cathrine Berg Nilsen | website |
Canada | Fair Trade Towns | Sean McHugh, Mélissa Dubé | website |
Austria | FAIRTRADE-Gemeinden | Maria Ebner | website |
Spain | Ciudad por el Comercio Justo | David Comet | website |
Finland | Reilun kaupan kaupunki | Jatta Makkula | website |
Denmark | Fair Trade Cities | Jeanette Dehliz | website |
Brazil | Cidade de Comercio Justo - Fair Trade City | Ulisses Ferreira de Oliveira | |
The Netherlands | Fairtrade Gemeente | Karin van Breda | website |
Germany | Kampagne Fairtrade Towns | Lisa Herrmann | website |
Costa Rica | Latin American Fair Trade Towns | Sonia Murillo Alfaro & Edwin Vargas Jimenez | website |
New Zealand | Fair Trade Communities NZ | Marinda Matthew This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | |
Luxembourg | Fairtrade Gemeng | Valerie Murat | website |
Japan | Fair Trade Towns | Tatsuya Watanabe | website |
Ghana | Fair Trade Towns | Walter Alifo | |
Czech Republic | Fairtradová města | Lenka Dvořáková | website |
Poland | Spolecznosci Przyjazne dla Sprawiedliwego Handlu | Tadeusz Makulski | website |
Lebanon | Fair Trade Towns | Lory Boutchakdjian | website |
Estonia | Fairtrade Towns | Jaanus Välja | |
France | Territoires de commerce équitable | Robin Baraud | website |
Switzerland | Fair Trade Towns | Francine Müller | website |
Cameroon | Territoire de Commerce Equitable | Jérôme Olivier ONGUENE NTONGA | |
Equador | Ciudades y Pueblos Por El Comercio Justo | Sra. Rosa Guamán;Dra. Sagrario Angulo | website |
South Korea | Korea Fair Trade Towns | Maria Yougsin Lim | |
Chile | Ciudades y Pueblos Por El Comercio Justo | Lorena Vergar y Raúl Navarrete | website |
Honduras | Ciudades y Pueblos Por El Comercio Justo | website | |
Paraguay | Ciudades y Pueblos Por El Comercio Justo | website | |
India | Fair Trade Towns India | Anjali Shivana | |
Taiwan | Fair Trade City Campaign | Karen Yu - Fairtrade Taiwan Association |