Fair Trade Hokkaido is a citizens' group that aims to build a peaceful and fair society free of poverty gaps and discrimination through fair trade. It applies fair trade principles not only to overseas producers but also to dealings with small farmers and welfare workshops in Japan, seeking communities where fair relationships grow through everyday trade. Combining Hokkaido's local products with fair trade products, as "fair trade plus local production for local consumption," is one of its goals.
Its origin is the Sapporo Fair Trade Festa held in 2003. From 2007 it moved outdoors to Odori Park and grew into an event that draws about 10,000 visitors each year. A movement to make Sapporo a Fair Trade Town began in 2008, the group was launched in October 2009, and Sapporo was certified as a Fair Trade Town in 2019.
It has also published the free paper "The Fair Vision," held a workshop on making chocolate from Hokkaido ingredients and fair trade cacao beans, and organized film screenings. The latest notices on its website concern Fair Trade Festa in Sapporo 2026, held on June 20 and 21, 2026.
Key points
- Holds Fair Trade Festa in Sapporo, which draws about 10,000 visitors a year
- Extends fair dealing to small farmers and welfare workshops in Japan
- Sapporo was certified as a Fair Trade Town in 2019
Why this organization's work stands out
It does not treat fair trade as an overseas matter only but as an issue of everyday trade and life in the local community. Local touches such as combining it with local production for local consumption are a useful reference.
Shops, student groups and a variety of citizens' organizations exhibit at the festa, making it an easy entry point for people encountering international cooperation for the first time.
Editor's comment
This feels like an organization that shows, through enjoyable events, how shopping connects us to the world. It is appealing that you can start close to home.
Reports on the festa and the basics of fair trade are on the official website. Please take a look.