Promote fair trade activities in municipal business development

Business development agencies that strengthen fair trade not only improve the living conditions of workers in the global South, but also strengthen their local businesses and contribute to a more stable economic capacity of their own region. On behalf of the Service Agency for Communities in One World (SKEW) and together with the Gesellschaft für angewandte Kommunalforschung (GEFAK), corsus developed modules for municipal business development agencies and implemented them on a pilot basis with eight agencies (including Aachen, Bremerhaven, Göttingen and Güstrow). In workshops and other exchange formats, approaches and strategies were developed for the focal points of sustainable land allocation, consultation and networking on fair trade and human rights due diligence as well as integration in sustainability strategies and location marketing. For example, introductory consulting services on sustainable business management were planned for local companies, and a strategy was developed to strengthen fair trade in the retail sector. In addition, the economic development agencies were networked more closely with local actors in areas such as fair trade, climate protection and tourism promotion, and activities were coordinated.