Morrison Hershfield First Fair Trade Workplace in Alberta

Morrison Hershfield is proud to announce that we are the first designated Fair Trade Workplace in Calgary and Alberta. At the time of certification, we were one of only 13 designated Fair Trade Workplaces in Canada.

The Fair Trade Workplace is a Program of Fairtrade Canada, managed in partnership with the Canadian Fair Trade Network (CFTN) and the Association québécoise du commerce équitable (AQCÉ). The Fair Trade Workplace program recognizes offices that demonstrate strong commitment to fair trade by making products available to their staff and visitors.

Fairtrade is an independent, third party certification system for goods that are produced in the Global South. Its mission is to ensure better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade and to support local sustainability for farmers and workers in the Global South. Fairtrade requires companies to pay sustainable prices therefore addressing the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.

Investing in Fairtrade products in the workplace has also provided Morrison Hershfield with the opportunity to create meaningful change. We’ve been able to educate staff, get them involved, and strengthen our team. It has also encouraged our staff to be mindful of the true value of labour and the cost of production, and many have taken steps to change how they do business in their personal lives. It is a small but important step towards achieving global social justice.

In order to be designated as a Fair Trade Workplace, Morrison Hershfield had to:

• Form a Fair Trade Committee made up of staff and management to ensure continued commitment to the Fair Trade Workplace designation
• Provide staff and visitors with Fairtrade certified coffee, tea and a third product from a different category (we chose sugar)
• Make promotional and informational material available to staff and visitors to promote our fair trade commitment

Achieving this designation demonstrates Morrison Hershfield’s commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. When a Fair Trade Workplace is designated, it supports fairer conditions and better prices for people in the Global South who grow and make our products we use every day. Investing in Fairtrade products gives farmers a Fairtrade Premium that they can use to invest in their businesses and community projects like better health facilities and clean water.

For more information on how to become a Fair Trade Workplace in Canada, please visit Fairtrade Canada.

Watch a video of Morrison Hershfield Calgary staff celebrating our Fair Trade Workplace designation: