On Wednesday 22nd of August, commuters on rush-hour subways and local trains in Toronto, Canada had something better to read. Volunteers of a Canadian organization Engineers Without Borders (EWB) handed out newspapers on Fairtrade and samples of Fairtrade products to 22,000 passer-bys at stations as a part of their Major Outreach Event.

The newspaper, called Fair Trade Times, was a four-page, one-time publication covering serious issues on Fairtrade with a twist of humour. The paper featured articles on the life of a Fairtrade cotton producer from Mali, how the mayor of Toronto switched to Fairtrade coffee and how business can make a difference with Fairtrade. A map on the last page pointed out coffee shops and retail stores offering Fairtrade products. An article on Fairtrade basics was also provided for readers, who were not yet familiar with the systems.

The purpose of the event that mobilized nearly 50 volunteers and almost the entire EWB office staff was to raise awareness on Fairtrade amongst ordinary citizens. This is much needed, since according to a recent survey, only 38 % of Canadian coffee consumers know about Fairtrade. The figure, though growing, is still significantly lower than in most Western European countries.

Engineers Without Borders is a non-governmental organization fighting poverty by helping people in developing communities gain access to technologies that will improve their lives and by raising awareness on, for example, Millennium Development Goals and Fairtrade. EWB has 33 chapters, mostly on university campuses, and around 30,000 members.

The event was organized only in Toronto, but putting all the pieces together took still considerable effort. Ziadh Rabbani, an EWB volunteer and an intern for the summer, was responsible for coordinating the event. “I have learned a lot, not only about editing journals and organizing events, but also about Fairtrade.” The goal of the event was to encourage people to buy more Fairtrade products, but Ziadh has noticed that it has affected his own purchasing behaviour as well. “The aim of EWB is to alleviate poverty”, Ziadh summarizes, “for which, Fairtrade is a great tool.”

Written by: Sini Maury