Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFair, but does anybody care?: Both on-campus and around town fair trade products are available, but face limited demand
By Jessica Goldberg
Posted: 4/11/07, 10:14 PM EST Section: News
|
Today pots of fair trade coffee sit - all but ignored - next to the regular blend, said Brett Africk, SU's manager of Snack Operations.
Fair trade is a form of business that practices direct trade with farmers and artisans at a guaranteed minimum price, so workers and farmers earn livable wages, according to Transfair USA, a renowned fair trade company. In order to qualify for fair trade certification, farmers must follow strict guidelines of sustainable crop growing.
While organic foods represent increased environmental consciousness, fair trade is a movement that focuses more on social injustice. Buying fair trade does cost more money, but that is mainly because workers are better compensated.
Africk and his colleague Sue Bracy, assistant director of the Schine Dining Complex, painted a pitiful picture for fair trade on campus, however.
"The demand is very small," Africk said. "Fair trade coffee is offered at four different locations on campus, but normal coffee outsells it 10 to one." These locations are the Gallery Snack Bar, Warehouse Café, Olsten Family Café in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the café in Slocum, which is currently closed.
"There is more of a push for organic food now," Bracy added. "There's not as much media" for fair trade.
The independent, student-run coffee shop on campus People's Place offers one blend of fair trade coffee. Co-manager Stephanie Bovaird described student response to the blend as fairly positive.
"People who know about fair trade usually get it," she said. "It's becoming more popular as people become more aware."
The People's Place's decision to offer fair trade coffee began because - as a non-profit - it can sell products the university doesn't support, Bovaird said. "We wanted to be able to promote things for farmers and small businesses," she added, "because we're a small business."
The People's Place has offered this coffee blend for about seven years, and while there has been talk of offering fair trade teas, Bovaird said there currently isn't enough space for more products.
Despite a lack of demand for fair trade products on SU's campus, there are several local businesses that sell a wide variety of fair trade products, ranging from coffee to jewelry. According to the staff at these stores, there is a steady influx of students who come to buy their products.
Be the first to comment on this story