Fairtrade Month is here, and October comes with a few extra perks for anyone ready to make a more ethical switch.
For starters, you can score exclusive promotions of up to 25% off Fairtrade-certified products through the Fairtrade Month website. There's also a chance to win a coffee maker valued at $1,000, offered by Corbeil, plus weekly giveaways on Fairtrade Canada's Instagram.
Beyond the perks, Fairtrade Month is a reminder that your everyday purchases can make a difference. Swapping your usual coffee or chocolate for an option featuring the Fairtrade Mark on its packaging can support better incomes, decent working conditions and fairer terms of trade for farmers and workers.
Look for this mark when you shop to find certified Fairtrade products. Courtesy of Fairtrade Canada
Unique among certification labels, farmers and workers have 50% ownership of Fairtrade, giving them equal representation in how it’s run, including the prices and standards it sets.
Not sure where to begin? These three Canadian brands offer a delicious place to start.
AWAKE Chocolate
AWAKE ChocolateCourtesy of Fairtrade Canada
AWAKE Chocolate puts an energizing spin on a sweet treat, pairing premium chocolate with caffeine. The Canadian-founded brand has been proudly Fairtrade from day one.
"Choosing Fairtrade may feel like a small decision, but it can have a much bigger impact. At AWAKE, we've been proudly Fairtrade from day one because we believe the chocolate people love should also support the people and communities behind it. Being Fairtrade allows us to give consumers an easy, everyday way to make a choice that reflects their values — and that's something that means a lot to us." - Adam Deremo, Founder and CEO of AWAKE Chocolate
Camino
Camino hot chocolateCourtesy of Fairtrade Canada
Camino is a Canadian brand known for its Fairtrade chocolate and sugar products. It's sold by La Siembra, a Canadian cooperative that supports small-scale farmers and their communities while working toward a more equitable global trade system.
"Your choices not only have a huge impact on the lives of people all over the world, but also right here at home. We do this for the farmers, but the more folks choose Fairtrade, the bigger that economy becomes, the less all of us are beholden to corporations whose only interest is the bottom line." - Lincoln Neal, Director of Sales and Marketing at La Siembra
Kicking Horse Coffee
Kicking Horse CoffeeCourtesy of Fairtrade Canada
Looking to make your daily coffee Fairtrade? Kicking Horse Coffee has been fuelling Canadians for 30 years with certified Fairtrade and organic coffee beans, roasted in Canada.
"Coffee drinkers care about where their beans come from and have higher expectations for what's in their cup right now. By choosing Fairtrade, they can feel good that they're backing farming communities through investments in education, infrastructure, climate resilience, and community development projects." - Laura Brown, Senior Marketing Manager at Kicking Horse Coffee
Whether you're switching up your coffee, chocolate or sugar, look for the Fairtrade Mark in stores this October — or any time of year — and head to the Fairtrade Month website to check out this month's promotions.