You may be a foodie, and you love food, but do you ever stop to think about where it comes from and who is producing it?
When you think about it, doesn’t it make sense to buy products that pay fair wages to those who make them? If you agree with fair wages and conditions for workers and farmers you support St. John’s University becoming a Fair Trade certified school.
Find #FairTradeCertified lunch goodies & learn how your purchase helps send kids to school https://t.co/V6mtwXEksg pic.twitter.com/TSk9dixxVC
— Fair Trade Certified (@FairTradeUSA) August 9, 2016
What Is Fair Trade?
Fair Trade is a trade process in which fair prices are paid to producers in developing countries. Fairtrade America explains it as, “a global system that supports the small-scale farmers and workers who grow produce Fair Trade products so that they can have more control over their lives.”
There are hundreds of Fair Trade products offered in stores across the United States. And by buying Fair Trade products you can help create a fair and safe environment for workers across the globe.
Fair Trade is quickly making campaigns across the universities and colleges in the United States, including ones with Spoon University Chapters.
Fair Trade on St. John’s Campus
The Fair Trade movement on campus, headed by Professor Sean Murray and Co-Chair Katharina Lemmer, began in 2014 and aims to bring awareness about where food on campus is coming from and educate the St. John’s community on alternative ways and places to buy food, fairly. Fair Trade is a social justice issue and fits right into St. John’s Vincentian mission.
St. John’s University is one step closer to becoming a Fair Trade University! pic.twitter.com/6p8geJmvMO
— StJohnsforFairTrade (@StJohnsFT) December 4, 2015
The movement’s main focus right now—that any student or faculty memeber can become a part of—is to achieve five benchmarks set by the non-profit Fair Trade Campaigns. With the progress the movement has already made, you can find Fair Trade products in Montgoris Dining Hall, the library, and the D’Angelo Center.
How To Get Involved
If you’re like Angelica Acevedo, a student who presented on Fair Trade for university research day encouraging everyone to “be a conscious consumer, be a part of fair trade,” you can get involved in multiple ways.
The movement puts together Fair Trade Fridays at DAC from 12:30 to 2:30 pm in front of Starbucks to teach the SJU community more about the campaign and allows students and faculty to purchase certified Fair Trade products.
You can also “Like” the movement’s Facebook page to receive updates on the campaign and learn about events on campus you can be a part of.
So the next time you’re picking up coffee at the dining hall or buying a chocolate bar at the library, check for a Fair Trade Certified label and make the smart food choice.