Interest in fair trade still strong in Ontario's last designated town

Niagara Region resident Kellen Spence says he's been intrigued by the idea of fair trade since he was a youngster. 

Growing up near Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont., Spence was exposed to the idea of fair trade at Ten Thousand Villages Canada stores, then headquartered in nearby New Hamburg. 

The charity-run chain once had shops across the country, filled with items made in countries around the world, and featuring information about their makers and how purchasing the item supported fair pay and global trade. Its corporate operations ended in Canada in 2020. 

Then, working in the supply chain and logistics field as an adult, Spence got more interested in the idea that people who make products in lower-income countries should be paid fairly for their work.

"I got to really see behind the scenes as far as where products come from," Spence told CBC Hamilton. "Fair trade looked like an avenue to solve some of those problems and close the gap."

Fair trade most commonly refers to the practice of companies paying fair trade organizations in developing countries to certify products as complying with certain economic and ethical standards. Additional costs over the market rate might go toward social development projects where the goods are produced. 

Spence and his partner, Jenn Neilson, are big supporters. They run Dharma Fairtrade, a soap and candle business in Port Colborne, Ont.

It's the province's only fair trade town, a Fairtrade Canada certification the municipality has held for 15 years.

Since the mid-2000s, 26 Canadian municipalities have been certified fair trade towns. Three others — Barrie, Toronto and Guelph — were previously certified, but since 2019, none recertified and lost their status. In addition to Port Colborne, there are 15 active fair trade towns in Canada, including Winnipeg and Edmonton. 

According to Loïc de Fabritus Gautier, who manages advocacy and citizen engagement for Fairtrade Canada, other Ontario municipalities, including Toronto, lost certification early in the pandemic.

The designation requires having a steering committee that holds annual events, which many communities couldn't keep up during the public health crisis, he said. 

But the pandemic also saw renewed interest in supporting local businesses and in how supply chains work, de Fabritus Gautier said. 

He said that despite high inflation, Fairtrade Canada has not seen a decline in the purchase of fair trade goods.

Fairtrade Canada, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, is the local chapter of an international organization advocating for fair trade. In addition to municipalities, it certifies campuses, organizations, businesses and products.