Cr Charlotte Baines will recommend the council adopts the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand's fair trade community guidelines and meets the terms of the program within 12 months.

The proposal will commit the council to serving Fair Trade-certified products at its meetings and in its offices.

If agreeing to adopt the guidelines, the council would be the second in Victoria, joining the City of Yarra, and the third in Australia to become a 'fair trade' council.

Fair Trade is a social movement which ensures farmers in developing countries are paid a fair price for their produce and not subjected to unsafe working conditions.

Under the plan, a steering group would be formed with a council representative and people representing schools, churches, community groups and businesses

to encourage the wider use of Fair Trade products.

"This is a very exciting opportunity for the City of Monash to become a leader within Victoria as well as Australia, to take up social responsibility and encourage the benefits provided by fair trade," Cr Baines said.

She will also lobby for a Fair Trade Award at the Monash Business Awards.

The initial cost for the council would be $982, including a one-off joining fee of $850 from the association.

World Vision estimates more than 600,000 children work on cocoa fields in West Africa, which produces 70 per cent of the world's cocoa. Of these children, 80 per cent are exposed to potentially dangerous working conditions, including the unprotected use of chemicals, carrying heavy loads and using machetes.