Suwon Receives Second Recertification as 'Fair Trade City'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Metropolitan City announced on the 14th that it has received secondary recertification as a 'Fair Trade City' from the Korea Fair Trade Village Committee. The certification is valid until October 12, 2026.

Fair Trade Village certification is a system through which the Korea Fair Trade Village Committee, Korea's certification body of the International Fair Trade Town Committee, reviews and certifies cities, universities, businesses, and institutions that exemplarily practice fair trade.

Since receiving its initial certification in October 2020, the city has consistently conducted fair trade campaigns and educational activities centered on the 'Suwon Fair Trade Committee' and fair trade-certified communities. Recognizing its steady efforts, it received its first recertification in October 2022.

To receive recertification as a Fair Trade City, municipalities must meet five criteria: △establishment of fair trade ordinances △use and sale of fair trade products △fair trade community certification △fair trade education and campaign activities △and operation of a fair trade committee. For the second recertification, the number of fair trade product sales outlets and fair trade-certified communities must exceed those from the first recertification.

The city established a legal framework for creating a fair trade city by enacting the 'Fair Trade Support Ordinance' in March 2020. In April 2020, it formed the 'Suwon Fair Trade Committee,' a public-private cooperation body, and secured 70 fair trade product sales outlets. The number of outlets has grown from 89 at the time of the first recertification to the current 94 locations.

The fair trade-certified communities, which numbered 3 at the time of the first recertification—참살이 Cooperative, Gyeonggi University Museum, and Suwon Youth and Young Adult Foundation—have increased to 5. Suwon Urban Foundation's Social Economy Support Center and Cheoncheon High School Educational Community Social Cooperative have been newly designated.

The city has continuously held fair trade education and campaign activities to raise awareness of fair trade, and last year was selected as the opening city for the '2023 Fair Trade Fortnite,' with the event held at the Suwon Convention Center. The Fair Trade Fortnite, held jointly by Gyeonggi Province and cities and counties within the province, is a festival where diverse social actors promote and celebrate fair trade over two weeks.

'Fair Trade' refers to a form of trade that provides favorable trade terms to producers in developing countries to address issues such as wealth concentration, environmental destruction, labor exploitation, and human rights violations that result from unfair trade structures between developed and developing nations.

It is a global civic movement aimed at 'ethical consumption' that pays producers fair compensation while providing consumers with quality products. Currently, approximately 2,000 cities worldwide are certified as fair trade cities and are leading efforts to practice fair and equitable trade activities.

A city official stated, "Through the second recertification, we will establish ourselves as a fair trade city leading the fair trade village movement," and added, "We will build a social system where the dignity and labor value of all people are respected based on fair trade and mutual respect and trust between producers and consumers."

Meanwhile, Suwon City held a 'Fair Trade Campaign with Youth and Adolescents' in front of Gyeonggi University's Soseong Museum on the 14th to commemorate the '2024 Gyeonggi Fair Trade Fortnite.'

The campaign, organized by Suwon City and the Suwon Fair Trade Council, with participation from Suwon City's fair trade communities including Gyeonggi University's Soseong Museum and Cheoncheon High School Educational Community Social Cooperative, was conducted by distributing fair trade products such as fair trade fruits to Gyeonggi University students and citizens to promote fair trade.