Jena. The city of Jena will officially hold the title of Fairtrade Town for the next two years. Fairtrade Deutschland e. V. has renewed the certification, honoring the city’s commitment to fair trade, sustainable consumption, and global responsibility in the ‘Lichtstadt’.
- Event: Recertification as a Fairtrade Town Jena
- Exhibition: “Fair trade connects – from Nicaragua to Jena” in the Rathausdiele
- Exhibition duration: Until September 13, 2026
- Participating partners: City of Jena, Eine-Welt-Netzwerk Thüringen e. V., UmsonstHaus im MobB e.V., fairwertbar e. V.
The festivities began with a vernissage at the Historisches Rathaus. Numerous guests from the city administration and civil society initiatives gathered to honor the long-standing commitment. In her opening remarks, the Head of the Department for Social Affairs, Health, Immigration, and Climate, Kathleen Lützkendorf, emphasized that the anchoring of fair trade in Jena is primarily due to the broad efforts of associations, educational institutions, church communities, and businesses.
Exhibition and activities focused on sustainability
A central component of the current activities is the photo exhibition “Fair trade connects – from Nicaragua to Jena,” which will be on display in the Rathausdiele until September 13, 2026. The exhibition highlights the long-standing town twinning with San Marcos in Nicaragua and illustrates the global connections between climate change and agricultural production. The launch was complemented by a cooking and film evening organized by fairwertbar e. V.
A “Fair Coffee Trip” also attracted special attention: Bio-certified and fair-trade coffee from Nicaragua was transported to Hamburg by sailboat in a climate-friendly manner and then brought to Jena by bicycle. Organized by Freiberger Agenda 21 e. V., the campaign makes sustainable supply chains tangible for citizens.
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Background: The City of Jena’s Sustainability Strategy
The Fairtrade Towns campaign supports municipalities worldwide in implementing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a local level. In Jena, the recertification as a Fairtrade Town is firmly anchored in the city’s sustainability strategy. The city plans to further expand sustainable public procurement in the coming years and strengthen the local steering committee as a network.
Participatory offers for fair fashion and chocolate
Civil society engagement also extends to other areas of everyday life. At StadtLab Jena, the event “Fair fashion, join in!” took center stage, held in cooperation with the Eine-Welt-Netzwerk Thüringen e. V. and the UmsonstHaus im MobB e.V. A clothing giveaway campaign provided practical impetus for the circular economy and resource conservation.
An interactive chocolate workshop is also planned for November at StadtLab. Daycare centers will be able to playfully trace the journey of chocolate from the cocoa plantation to the supermarket while developing an awareness for fair consumption.
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Actions and exhibition make fair trade visible in Jena
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.