Bocholt is a Fairtrade Town

In 2013, Bocholt was certified as a "Fairtrade Town" by Fairtrade Deutschland e.V. for the first time. Since then, checks have been carried out every two years to ensure that the criteria for a Fairtrade Town are still being met. The town of Bocholt continues to meet all five criteria of the campaign and was recertified again in 2025.

Fairtrade Towns Campaign

Fairtrade Towns champion fair trade at a local level and promote social, environmental and economic standards worldwide. Their focus is on regulated working conditions, fair wages, protection against exploitation, and environmentally friendly farming through the responsible use of natural resources.

There are currently 952 Fairtrade Towns in Germany; worldwide, there are over 2,200 across 36 countries (as of October 2026). For a town to be awarded the title "Fairtrade Town", it must meet five criteria:

A council resolution ensures that Fairtrade coffee is served at council meetings and in the mayor's office.
A local steering group coordinates Fairtrade activities.
Retailers, restaurants and cafés stock Fairtrade products.
Schools, clubs, churches and other organisations use Fairtrade products and run educational campaigns on the topic of fair trade.
Local and social media report on Fairtrade activities.

The district of Borken has also held the Fairtrade certification since 2024. Within the district, alongside the town of Bocholt, Ahaus, Borken, Gescher, Gronau, Stadtlohn and Vreden are also certified as Fairtrade Towns and thus support the global Fairtrade campaign.

Fair Trade Shop run by the Ökumenischer Arbeitskreis Eine Welt Bocholt e.V.

The Weltladen is run by the Ökumenischer Arbeitskreis Eine Welt Bocholt e.V. Around 40 volunteers help run the shop on St. Georg Platz. It stocks fair-trade goods from all over the world, as well as products from the Büngern-Technik workshop and Haus Hall.

As well as running the shop, the association organises events and exhibitions and makes the premises available as an extracurricular learning space for schools in Bocholt. In cooperation with the town of Bocholt, the Weltladen also supports local projects.

Find out more about Fairtrade Towns

Find out more about the Weltladen