For a pint, who can tell me the name of the first U.S. Fair Trade Town? Is it A) Deluth, Minnesota B) Media, Pennsylvania C) Ithica, New York or D) Bakersfield, California?
You guessed it, Bakersfield! Okay. Just kidding. According to Co-Op America's Fall 2006 newsletter (yes I'm just reading it now!), Media,Pennsylvania became the first "Fair Trade town" in the U.S. What does it take to become a fair trade town? Britain has a Fairtrade Foundation that sets the guidelines, which Media, PA modeled to declare such status;
Here's the basics:
Town/city council promises to serve Fair Trade products at meetings and functions
set mandates for a percentage of media retailers and institutions to sell and use FT products
Encourage support and media coverage of FT
Create a steering committee to keep it going on!
Europe is a ways ahead of us, but I bet we could catch up if we made it sexy to be a FT town. Can you imagine Fair Trade Hollywood? How about Fair Trade Flint, Michigan? For the full scoop on Britain's guidelines, check out www.fairtradefoundation.org.uk
That's what guys night out does for a woman. At least in my town. At least on this night!
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