Fair Trade & Catholic Higher Education

Transcription

1 Fair Trade & Catholic Higher Education

2 College and university students interact daily with campus dining and retail operations. These venues give students easy access to a variety of foods and products that, in this era of economic interdependence, are often sourced from markets all over the globe. The movement known as fair trade seeks to promote greater equity in this international trading system by securing rights, better working conditions, and sustainable practices for often-marginalized producers and workers. Buying products that bear fair trade labels supports workers and their communities directly; higher education institutions have the ability to do this on a large scale. For Catholic college and universities, fair trade presents an opportunity to respond to the urgent call to promote social justice and the wider sharing of resources and development. 1 More than 60 percent of Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) member institutions currently offer some fair trade products on campus in dining halls, bookstores, coffee shops, and offices, or raise awareness of fair trade through lectures, annual sales and many other events. 2 The many experiences of ACCU campuses in implementing fair trade products and values showcase the numerous possibilities for greater commitment to economic and social justice. Please use these ideas and examples from ACCU member institutions to aid you in your own fair trade campaign. Building Partnerships: Catholic Relief Service Ambassadors Engaging the campus community is the first step in bringing fair trade to campus. Several ACCU institutions have partnered with the Campus Ambassadors program of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to facilitate this engagement. CRS Campus Ambassadors receive training from regional CRS offices to equip students to advocate for and educate others on social justice issues, and to serve as the official liaison between their campus community and CRS. With this training, the Ambassadors promote fair trade and foster student and faculty involvement. Fair trade is a key area of action for CRS as a whole. As part of the organization s work to address the root causes of poverty, CRS supports marginalized farmers and workers by promoting fair trade in the United States. 3 Fair trade awareness is a focus of the ambassadors intensive training. CRS also provides access to a network of fair trade vendors and other resources to bring fair trade products to campus. Neumann University At Neumann University (PA), the push for fair trade began with campus ministry staff in The issue gained new traction when, in 2012, CRS trained campus ministry and student government leaders as CRS Ambassadors. These students, along with others from campus ministry, took up the fair trade issue and raised awareness by tabling in main areas of campus, making classroom presentations, and holding a poster and campaign. Other ACCU institutions also have partnered with other student-led social justice groups, campus ministry offices, and interested professors to engage the campus in fair trade. 1 Pope John Paul II, Ex corde Ecclesiae: On Catholic Universities (Vatican City: Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1990), sec Independent research by ACCU. PHOTO COURTESY OF LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO 3 CRS Fair Trade, CRS and Fair Trade: In the Field, Catholic Relief Services, see

3 Bringing Products to Campus Through Dining Services Bringing fair trade to campus also requires cooperation with university administration and food service providers as policies and contracts are negotiated. ACCU institutions of all sizes have done this through both their food service providers and individual vendor agreements. Many food service providers offer fair trade varieties of coffee, tea, sugar, bananas, or other products, allowing colleges and universities with these contracts to make the switch to fair trade products as a straightforward part of campus purchasing. As the general demand for fair trade grows, individual vendors offer competitively priced options for campuses to consider. Assumption College Assumption College (MA) demonstrates the success of fair trade products at a relatively small institution. Through the campus food service contractor, Sodexo, fair trade coffee is available in all Assumption College dining operations. Assumption s student government was initially concerned that buying fair trade products would increase students room and board costs. However, because Sodexo already offered fair trade options on many campuses, Assumption College was able to incorporate fair trade products without increasing the cost to students. Misericordia University Another small campus, Misericordia University (PA) shows the possibilities in partnering with individual vendors. Misericordia is working to make Golden Valley Farms Coffee, a family-owned and -operated artisan coffee roaster, available on campus. Golden Valley Farms would allow Misericordia to create its own unique coffee brew. Purchasing this coffee not only would support workers because it is fair trade, but also would direct 50 of each cup purchased to support an annual Misericordia student service project to help sustainable coffee production in Costa Rica. Fair Trade in the Bookstore In addition to securing rights for agricultural workers and producers, the fair trade movement also works to combat the use of sweatshops in apparel production. Fair trade ensures a safe workplace, workers rights, and just compensation for workers. For instance, the Alta Gracia brand produces living wage apparel that supports workers in the developing world by paying more than three times the minimum wage, in addition to adhering to fair trade practices. Several ACCU member institutions make Alta Gracia apparel available in campus bookstores. University of St. Thomas The University of St. Thomas (MN) currently maintains Alta Gracia t-shirts and sweatshirts in its bookstore. This inclusion resulted from a Justice and Peace Studies student campaign in The apparel s continued availability depends on sales. The Justice and Peace Studies department has held open Skype conversations among students, faculty, and Alta Gracia workers to foster university engagement and support of Alta Gracia products and its fair trade mission.

4 Building and Maintaining Campus Awareness Introducing fair trade values and helping a campus understand the tangible effects that the individual and the institution can have in creating a more just international economy can be done in several ways. Fair Trade Tables. Student groups can station tables around campus to raise money and spread awareness of fair trade products and values. Fair trade tables create the opportunity to hand out informative flyers and sell fair trade crafts, flowers, or food to raise money for a particular cooperative. Students at Loyola University Chicago (IL) bring a fair trade table to the general Student Organizations Fair held at the beginning of each academic year to make new students aware of fair trade on campus and encourage their participation. Taste Testing. Offering free samples of fair trade chocolate and coffee is a great way to grab student attention. At Villanova University (PA), CRS Student Ambassadors operate a table offering free fair trade chocolate samples and coffee in the campus library during the time of final exams, along with explanatory materials. The event, Fuel up with Fair Trade, reaches hundreds of students and allows Ambassadors to promote fair trade values to a large audience in a fun and informative way. PHOTO COURTESY of manhattan college PHOTO COURTESY OF Fairfield university, louis greco Academic Courses. Incorporating the discussion of fair trade values and practices into the curriculum allows for a deeper intellectual understanding of and commitment to the issue. At the University of St. Thomas (MN), Dr. Michael Klein incorporates fair trade into his Introduction to Justice and Peace Studies course. The course has a weeklong unit on fair trade and includes a tour of the Peace Coffee roasting facility to investigate how fair trade is practiced in a for-profit subsidiary of a nonprofit policy institute. The class has also produced fair trade events on campus to fulfill a student assignment on action planning. Immersion Trips. The principles of fair trade encourage developing relationships and building capacity. Some ACCU member campuses embark on service trips to aid the producers and communities from which they buy fair trade goods. Marywood University (PA) students travel to the San Lucas Mission in Guatemala to help build infrastructure by assisting in a reforestation project, building a women s center, and assisting in a coffee processing facility. Coffee from the San Lucas Mission is served year-round on campus. Fair Trade Bazaars. Regular fair trade bazaars and sales are a great way to bring the campus community together around fair trade. Many Catholic colleges and universities bring fair trade artisan gifts, jewelry, clothing, and foods to students through these events (often held around gift-giving holidays) that serve to build awareness about the issue as well as fundraise for the vendors. Boston College (MA) holds an annual Fair Trade Holiday Sale around Christmas, with proceeds supporting not only artisans and their work, but also two scholarship programs benefitting students in Nicaragua and El Salvador. PHOTO COURTESY OF Fairfield university, louis greco

5 PHOTO COURTESY of manhattan college On-Campus Lectures. Much like academic courses, public lectures deepen the intellectual engagement with fair trade while also bringing professionals from the field to share their drive for and knowledge of fair trade. In 2014, the Villanova University CRS Ambassadors hosted a panel discussion titled Buying into Fair Trade: Creating a Culture of Ethical Consumption and Business, in which guest professors and a representative from a local Whole Foods Market discussed the importance of fair trade from their own perspectives. Community Events. Catholic colleges and universities can partner with local businesses that also value fair trade to engage the broader community and encourage students to seek out fair trade products when making off-campus purchases. Fairfield University (CT) holds an annual Fair Trade Sale that offers products from 5 Oceans, a local fair trade business. Proceeds support not only the artisans, but also the local Fairfield community. In 2014, the University of San Diego (CA) held its first Roast and Roll event during which students took a bike tour of fair trade coffee shops around San Diego, supporting local businesses and learning about fair trade options off campus. Fair Trade University Status Institutions may wish to obtain fair trade status to gain recognition for their commitment to fair trade. Fair Trade Campaigns is an organization that empowers and assists colleges in starting their own fair trade campaigns on campus. The Fair Trade Colleges and Universities Steering Committee recognizes higher education institutions for embedding fair trade practices and principles into policy, as well as into the social and intellectual foundations of their communities. 4 As of January 2015, 27 colleges and universities in the United States 16 of which are ACCU member campuses had achieved Fair Trade University Status. Catholic colleges and universities lead the way in commitment to fair trade. Dr. Gwendolyn Tedeschi of Manhattan College reflects on the value of fair trade status and lessons learned during the college s fair trade campaign: Fair trade status was very mission-driven for us at Manhattan College. We saw it as a way for fair trade to become institutionalized at a high level. The status also serves as a commitment-keeping device that challenges us to take stock of what we do by writing a yearly report of our continuing fair trade activities. The recognition and support of Fair Trade Campaigns keeps our approach to fair trade cohesive, continually encouraging us to educate new students and push for more fair trade items in our campus stores. The fair trade campaign also allows students themselves to gain concrete leadership experience as they advocate for fair trade to their peers and to the administration. 4 Fair Trade Campaigns, About, see fairtradecampaigns.org/about/our-campaigns.

6 Five goals to achieving Fair Trade University status*: Goal 1: Form a fair trade committee. A fair trade committee develops and provides leadership for the campaign action plan. Think about who on campus could provide the most help in gaining traction and sustaining the campaign (e.g., students, faculty, administration, and staff). Goal 2: Make fair trade products available on campus. A minimum of two fair trade products should be available in campus-owned/operated venues, as well as in service contracts, where possible. Goal 3: Use fair trade products in university offices, meetings, and events. Offer fair trade coffee, tea, sugar, and other products whenever possible. PHOTO COURTESY of manhattan college Goal 4: Commit to fair trade education, awareness-raising, and growth of fair trade on campus. Host events each academic term that inspire students and faculty to learn about fair trade and purchase fair trade products. Introduce fair trade into classes and publicize efforts in campus publications. Conclusion Every economic... action must set about providing each inhabitant of the planet with the minimum wherewithal to live in dignity and freedom, with the possibility of supporting a family, educating children, praising God, and developing one s own human potential. Pope Francis Pope Francis reminds us that we as consumers engage in more than just economic transactions when we purchase goods. We enter into the economy with the moral responsibility to ensure that the economy works for everyone and does not neglect the rights and human dignity of each participant. Time and time again, the Catholic Church has affirmed that the constitutive purpose of the economy is to serve the common good. 5 Fair trade provides the opportunity to commit to this tenant of our faith in the choices we make as consumers. Institutionalizing and spreading awareness of fair trade principles and products allows a Catholic college or university to translate the values of Catholic Social Teaching into tangible action and pushes students to recognize the opportunities they have on and off campus to ensure a more just economy. Visit for more resources on fair trade and links to Fair Trade Campaigns, Catholic Relief Services, and other materials. Goal 5: Develop a fair trade resolution, which incorporates the commitments outlined above, and work to have it approved by appropriate governing bodies. (*Adapted from the Fair Trade Colleges & Universities Toolkit) 5 CRS Fair Trade, CRS and Fair Trade: Catholic Social Teaching, Catholic Relief Services, see resources.crs.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/fair-trade-andcatholic-social-teaching-june-2010.pdf.

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