An entire city is going fair trade in Ireland.

According to the Galway Advertiser, Galway is about to become Ireland’s first “Fair Trade City.” To qualify, the city needed:

• 1 flagship business providing 100% FT coffee
• 6 schools using an FT action pack and promoting FT tea or coffee
• 8 catering establishments serving 100% FT coffee
• 12 other local businesses serving FT tea or coffee
• 15 retail outlets selling 2 FT marked products

It’s unclear who came up with these guidelines — I think either Amnesty International or Oxfam Ireland. The final decision’s still a couple weeks away, but regardless, it seems like a pretty big achievement — Aside from one cafe in Tutor Hall at USC, I don’t know any other place in Los Angeles where I can get a brewed cup of FT coffee on a consistent basis….

**Update 9/3/05: It seems many cities and towns in Europe, especailly the UK, have gone fair trade. The program is run by the Fair Trade Federation (here’s the UK site). Read more in my update here.

fair trade

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