Gyeonggi-do, Fair Trade City Re-Certification

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi-do will continue to uphold its status as the 'world's largest Fair Trade City.'

Gyeonggi-do announced on the 30th that the Korea Fair Trade Town Committee, a non-profit organization entrusted with certification duties by the International Fair Trade Towns Committee, recently re-certified Gyeonggi-do as a 'Fair Trade City' until October 24, 2023, following its initial certification in October 2019.

Fair trade refers to trade that pays a fair price to producers in underdeveloped countries so they can sustain their livelihoods. The International Fair Trade Towns Committee grants certification to cities that exemplarily practice fair trade. Currently, over 2,000 cities (towns) worldwide have received official certification. Gyeonggi-do, with a population of 13.47 million, is the largest city among them.

To be re-certified as a Fair Trade City, five criteria must be met: ▲support from local government and council ▲expansion of access to local stores ▲use of fair trade products in various communities ▲education and campaign activities ▲organization of a fair trade committee.

Since enacting the Fair Trade Support Ordinance in 2017, Gyeonggi-do has taken the lead in developing fair trade distribution channels, selling fair trade products at 826 outlets. It has also conducted awareness education in schools in cooperation with fair trade organizations.

Additionally, in collaboration with cities and counties, the number of fair trade communities in the province has expanded from one to six, and last year, the 2nd Gyeonggi-do Fair Trade Committee was formed, consisting of fair trade experts from various fields.

The Fair Trade City certification ceremony will be held on the 29th of next month at Guri City Hall, alongside the opening ceremony of the '2021 Gyeonggi-do Fair Trade Fortnight Changing the World from the Village.' The Fair Trade Fortnight is a two-week intensive campaign event organized by local communities to promote and commemorate fair trade.

Lee Jae-gang, Deputy Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi-do, emphasized, "Fair trade pursues equitable and just relationships and contributes to sustainable development, serving as a key to overcoming global crises. Through the re-certification as a Fair Trade City, Gyeonggi-do will continue to contribute to solving global issues by fostering cooperation between the public and private sectors."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.