MANKATO (TEC News) – Mankato is now Minnesota’s first “Fair Trade Town.” The resolution approved last night by the city council means the city will purchase fair trade products if they are competitively priced and of comparable quality.
According to information provided to the city council from the Mankato Area Fair Trade Town Initiative there are 24 Fair Trade towns in the US.
"Fair Trade" is an innovative market strategy the promotes fair labor practices and healthy and safe work environments for the production of commodities and other goods such as handcrafts and jewerly.
There are currently some 10,000 Fair Trace Certified products available in the United States sourced from 58 countries.
On The Web: Fair Trade USA
On The Web: What products are Fair Trade Certified?
"Fair Trade" is an anti-poverty strategy focused on the Global South that helps "combat child labor, empowers women, keeps families together, finances development, protects the environment, promotes democracy and encourages economic stability."