Fair Trade News

Published June 19, 2006

Canada's national rail service onboard with fair trade coffee

Fair trade coffee will soon be offered to more than four million passengers aboard Canada’s national rail service every year.

VIA Rail Canada, which operates close to 500 trains per week, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Great Lakes to Hudson Bay, said Friday it is the first major passenger transport company in Canada to serve fair trade coffee to its customers.

The fair trade coffee will be offered on all VIA Rail trains and in VIA lounges throughout Canada. Fair trade coffee is part of an international system of doing business, based on dialogue, transparency and respect,” VIA said in a press release. “It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions for producers and workers in developing countries. Behind the principles and goals of Fair Trade is a rigorous system of monitoring, auditing and certification.”

VIA President and CEO Paul Côté will host a media conference Monday at Montreal’s Central Station launching the new campaign, and hand out samples of fair trade coffee to attendees.

Rob Clarke, executive director of TransFair Canada, a non-profit certification group promoting Fair Trade Certified products, and Laure Waridel of Equiterre will also be present.

Transfair said the international fair trade system is structured to produce the following outcomes for farmers and workers in developing countries: fair compensation for their products and labor, sustainable environmental practices, improved social services, and investment in the local economic infrastructure.