OLDS — Fair Trade Day and Fair Trade Month were celebrated earlier this month Olds.
Natalie Best, an importer of Fair Trade products from Cambodia, held a couple of taste-testing sessions of Fair Trade food with residents at a couple of businesses in Uptowne Olds on May 14.
That evening, celebrants gathered at a local restaurant that makes use of Fair Trade products as well.
Fair Trade-certified goods are provided by producers who pay a living wage, use environmentally-sustainable methods, do not use child or forced labour and have gender-equitable operations.
Bev Toews, chair of the Olds Fair Trade Committee, said at least 13 local businesses now sell Fair Trade-certified products. In addition, some provide roses donated by the committee to customers.
Earlier this month, at her request, town council voted to proclaim May as Fair Trade Month in the town.
During an interview, Toews was asked what the committee is doing for the remainder of the month.
“I’m challenging people to celebrate Fair Trade Month by trying one (Fair Trade) product that they haven’t tried before or adding two of them to their purchasing this month; coffee or chocolate or some spices,” she said.
Natalie Best of La Plantation in Montreal was on-hand for the taste testing. That company imports and distributes Fair Trade-certified products from Cambodia.
Best described Fair Trade as “a game changer” that improves the lives of residents by paying living wages to producers for their products.
"It’s about investing in the locals to make a marked change in their lives,” Best said during an interview.
She said La Plantation was started by a French/Belgian couple.
"The way they saw it is if they’re going to make change, the people need to earn a decent living,” Best said, noting the company has also created a well for a local school and made improvements to that school.
"They’re always giving back to the community. It’s extremely important, because their goal is to have these people have a better life, let them become more independent.”
The company also buys certified organic products from nearby farmers outside the plantation, thereby helping to improve their living as well.
“By supporting Fair Trade we can contribute to healthy economic and community development in communities in the global south, same as we strive for here at home,” Toews said during her presentation before council.
“Through our work under our designation as a Fair Trade town, we can grow the demand for -- and increase the supply of -- Fair Trade products in our local businesses so that citizens can buy Fair Trade products locally rather than having to shop elsewhere.”
