Fair Trade in Gyeonggi Province for a Fairer Society

The world's largest fair trade province, Gyeonggi-do keeps working hard to provide better trade environment to the market

What is fair trade?

Fair trade is an economic system in which extra incentives are given to producers from developing countries so as to facilitate their economic independence and sustainable development. Fair trade is geared for marginalized producers and workers who are often excluded from the benefits of trade.

Gyeonggi Province Becomes the World's Largest Fair Trade Province

After undertaking the fair trade movement early on, Gyeonggi Province was officially certified as the world's largest fair trade province in 2019. The certification, which began in the UK in 2000, stems from a campaign to help people use more fair trade products in their daily lives. As the International Fair Trade Towns Steering Committee evaluates and certifies based on five criteria, Gyeonggi Province is in the process of renewing certification this year.

Gyeonggi Province Local Fair Trade Products

One of the new trends in fair trade is local fair trade. Local fair trade not only includes producers in underdeveloped countries, but also farmers in consumer countries. Of particular note, Gyeonggi Province supports the development of local fair trade products that combine fair trade raw materials and local products of the province to create new goods.

fair trade products of Gyeonggi Province
ⓒGyeonggi Province

For example, after beginning the development of such products in 2018, Gyeonggi Province went on to create Rwanda Coffee in 2019 using soybeans produced in Gyeonggi Province and fair trade coffee imported from Rwanda. The province also produced chocolates that combine Yeoju rice, Icheon sweet potatoes, Paju Jangdan beans and cacao from Vietnam.

2021 Gyeonggi Fair Trade Fortnight

ⓒGyeonggi Province

This year, a 14-day festival will be held in Guri City, which was selected as the host city for the 2021 Gyeonggi Fair Trade Fortnight event that is slated to begin on October 8. Fair Trade Fortnight is a movement that began in 1997 in Europe with the goal of introducing fair trade products and encouraging people to use such products more. This campaign will be the fruition of the combined efforts of civic groups, religious groups, and NGOs.