A Milestone at the Farmers Market
Port Colborne marked a significant milestone by celebrating 15 years of being a fair trade town, with the weekly farmers market serving as the perfect backdrop for the festivities. This market, a hub for local produce and a meeting place for consumers and farmers, symbolizes the essence of fair trade by connecting people with the origins of their food.
Advocating for Fair Trade
Jane Nigh, a key figure in the city’s fair trade committee and manager of Villages Port Colborne, highlighted the importance of fair trade in promoting justice and ethical consumption. Through her store, Nigh shares the stories of artisans like Lilya, a former sex trade worker who found a new path through the Starfish Project. This initiative, which crafts jewelry while imparting life skills to women from brothels in Asian cities, exemplifies the transformative power of fair trade.Nigh emphasized the disparity between the living standards in the global north and the often exploitative conditions faced by workers and artisans in developing countries. She stressed that fair trade is not just about ethical purchasing but is fundamentally an issue of justice.
The Journey to Certification
Port Colborne’s journey to becoming a certified fair trade town was inspired by the example of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, the first community in Canada to achieve this status. Recognizing the potential to make a similar impact, Nigh and her colleagues leveraged local resources, including the presence of Ten Thousand Villages and a fair trade café, to pursue certification.To achieve this, a municipality must demonstrate a commitment to fair trade, evidenced by a sufficient number of businesses selling and serving fair trade products. The support of the broader community, including churches, schools, and the municipal government, is also crucial.
Leadership and Community Engagement
Kellen Spence, a committee member and managing partner of Dharma Fairtrade, praised Port Colborne’s early leadership in embracing fair trade. The city’s certification as the first in Ontario set a precedent that many others, including Toronto, have followed. Spence highlighted the importance of consumer choice in supporting fair trade, emphasizing education over pressure to encourage ethical purchasing.
Looking Forward
Despite challenges posed by the pandemic, the fair trade movement in Port Colborne is gaining momentum once again. The city aims to reinvigorate its commitment to fair trade, with aspirations to regain certifications and continue promoting fair trade principles within the community.The celebration of World Fair Trade Day, coupled with the dedication of the fair trade committee, underscores Port Colborne’s ongoing commitment to being a leader in fostering a fair and ethical future.
