San Francisco Fair Trade Resolution

Resolution establishing City policy of maximizing purchase of Fair Trade Certified materials when procuring necessary goods for the City.

WHEREAS, the City and County of San Francisco annually spends hundreds of thousands of dollars purchasing food, apparel and other goods; and,
WHEREAS, San Francisco has a long history of supporting fair wages and safe and humane working conditions for employees of those entities providing services or selling products to the City; and,
WHEREAS, the City must be cognizant of the comprehensive labor conditions that may be supported by its actions as a major market participant, including fair wages, sustainable production practices and a work environment free from toxins; and,
WHEREAS, the City has recently established an ordinance sponsored by Supervisor Maxwell entitled the Precautionary Purchasing Ordinance (file number 050595, introduced April, 2005) that requires the City to purchase products that protect human health and the environment; and
WHEREAS, “Fair Trade” certification is an innovative, market-based system that encourages fair labor practices and a healthy and safe work environment by identifying food and beverage products that generate fair economic benefit to the producers of these products—often farmers in less developed countries; and
WHEREAS, sale of Fair Trade certified goods helps these small producers in developing countries gain direct access to international markets in order to increase living standards, economic independence, and encourage sustainable farming practices, and
WHEREAS, Fair Trade Certified products are widely available and competitively priced in the United States, available through over 300 providers of food products including those that provide coffee, tea, chocolate and fresh fruit; and,
WHEREAS, The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a Resolution proclaiming May 8, 2005 as Fair Trade Day in support of a global economic system based in fair trade, corporate responsibility, and socially responsible investment; therefore be it
RESOLVED, the City and County of San Francisco establishes a policy to maximize purchase of Fair Trade Certified products in the process of procuring necessary goods for the city, when these products are available and comparably priced to non-certified materials; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, the Department of Environment is requested to investigate current purchasing options for Fair Trade Certified goods and issue recommendations by December, 2005 that identify how the city can maximize purchase of competitively priced Fair Trade Certified coffee, tea, chocolate and other food products and potentially compel city contractors to provide such goods; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, based on these recommendations, the city will implement a process to maximize purchase of Fair Trade Certified goods, possibly through the procurement process established in the Precautionary Purchasing Ordinance or through a separate ordinance if appropriate.