Fair Trade Town Lugano
The City has been awarded the Fair Trade Town recognition, which is granted to institutions that promote fair trade.
The City of Lugano joined the Fair Trade Town initiative in 2020 with the goals of promoting fair trade and strengthening the population’s inclination towards more balanced consumption. It was awarded the title of Fair Trade Supporting City in May 2023.
The City Council identified in the Development Guidelines 2018-2028 the need to direct the City's growth also according to the principles of quality and sustainable development, promoting concrete measures. Therefore, recognition as a Fair Trade Town - which is awarded by the umbrella association Swiss Fair Trade - therefore takes on an important role for Lugano.
Through this project, coordinated by the City’s Sviluppo economico Division, Lugano has implemented a series of activities to engage, inform, and raise awareness about the importance of fair trade for sustainable development. The initiative involved companies, restaurants, bars, as well as schools and municipal institutions, which were invited to adopt fair trade products such as fruit, coffee, cocoa derivatives, and cotton clothing, as part of a shift towards more sustainable commerce.
Among the concrete actions that allowed Lugano to achieve the Fair Trade Town title was the introduction, starting in April 2022, of certain fair trade products within the municipal administration: at Palazzo Civico (coffee, fruit juices, sugar) and in elderly homes managed by the autonomous entity LIS (organic black tea, fruit juices, chocolate bars). Additionally, plans are being made to gradually introduce Fair Trade food products in the meals served at preschools and primary school canteens.
Subsequently, the City's initiative was also presented to the population, as part of the 2022 Autumn Festival, with a promotional exhibition in Piazza Riforma attended by several Ticino businesses involved in Fair Trade.
With the recognition, the City fulfilled the request of the City Parliament as stated in the 2016 interparty motion, “For obtaining the Fair Trade Town recognition,” which was unanimously approved by the Legislative body in 2022.
The official ceremony for the title took place on Tuesday, 16 May 2023, at Quartiere Maghetti, in the presence of Mayor Michele Foletti, the President of the umbrella association Swiss Fair Trade, Tobias Meier, and the Director of the Maghetti Foundation, Riccardo Caruso.
The list of institutions and businesses that have joined the Fair Trade Town Lugano project is available online.
Criteria for obtaining the Fair Trade Town title
To achieve the Fair Trade Town certification, Lugano had to meet five criteria established by Swiss Fair Trade:
- the City opts for fair trade, with the competent political body deciding to pursue the Fair Trade Town recognition
- the City establishes a working group to coordinate and monitor the implementation of objectives
- retailers, restaurants, and hotels in the city offer fair trade products
- institutions and businesses provide fair and sustainable trade products
- the City commits to promoting fair trade through its communication channels
What is fair trade
Fair trade is an example of active and inclusive partnership necessary to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its advocates are committed to fair and long-term trade relations with producers in emerging countries, facilitating their access to the global market. In this context, transparent and stable prices must be ensured, social working conditions encouraged, and sustainable farming methods promoted.
Fair trade combats poverty and hunger, advocates for gender equality, and reduces inequalities, contributing to the creation of a fairer society. The transition towards increasingly sustainable lifestyles and societies is more effective when action is taken locally. Cities are attractive hubs offering many job opportunities and concentrating services and various types of activities.
Last updated 16 May 2023
The English version of this page was created with the aid of automatic translation tools and may contain errors and omissions.
The original version is the page in Italian.