Ceremonial presentation of certificates
Beckum remains a Fairtrade city
In September 2017, the town of Beckum was recognised as a "Fairtrade town" for the first time and has had to undergo recertification every two years since then in order to retain the title.
According to Dr Jürgen Rauter, Managing Director of Fairtrade City Beckum, five conditions still had to be met: the existence of a council resolution, an active steering group consisting of representatives from politics, business and civil society, fair products that are traded and anchored in public institutions, fair products that are sold and campaigns or events that are carried out and that also have a media and public presence.
In June 2025, this was successfully documented for the 4th time, meaning that Beckum will be allowed to carry the Fairtrade seal for the next 2 years. Dr Antje Ruhmann, spokeswoman for the steering group, has now presented the certificate to Mayor Michael Gerdhenrich in the presence of the council groups.
In his speech, the head of administration picked up on the Fairtrade idea and praised the work of the Fairtrade steering group: "This re-certification is not just a seal - it is a sign of our joint commitment to global justice, sustainable consumption and social responsibility." He said he was particularly grateful for the work of the steering group, as it had been able to anchor the topic of Fairtrade in people's minds and initiate a rethink right from the start with great vigour and a wide range of campaigns.
A small drink concluded the successful re-certification. Beckum thus remains one of over 900 German cities that can call itself a Fairtrade city.
