When I visited Villanova for the first time, I was slightly alarmed to see that their were no chain restaurants on campus. From Starbucks to Panera, there was really no familiar restaurant in sight.
It obviously did not effect my decision to come to Villanova; however, a lot of new students are probably wondering why this is the case. The answer? Fair Trade.
What is Fair Trade?
Fair Trade is an up and coming movement whose goal is to help producers to get fair prices for their products in order to help reduce poverty.
On April 17th,2013 the Fair Trade Colleges & Universities National Steering Committee awarded Villanova University “Fair Trade University Status,” which made Villanova the 14th University in the country to hold this status
Fair Trade focuses on six important values: fair price, fair labor conditions, direct trade, democratic and transparent organizations, community and development, and environmental stability.
These values hold companies to higher standards for their ways of trade just as Villanova hold’s their students to a higher standard when they are apart of “Nova Nation.”
Villanova’s Fair Trade Products
Dining Services on Villanova’s campus purchase and serve Fair Trade coffee, teas, chocolate, sugar, and bananas. You can find at least two Fair Trade products in all of our dining locations on campus.
Everything down to the default coffee (Equal Exchange Coffee) that is served in the normal dining halls on campus is a fairly traded product.
Where does Holy Grounds come in?
This unique coffee shop is a favorite among all Villanova students. There are four Holy Ground locations on campus. Hot coffee, iced coffee, cold brew, you name it. They have a extensive selections of muffins that are to die for, along with bagels and snacks.
If you go to Holy Grounds between your morning classes, you can almost guarantee the line will be up the stairs in Bartley or Connelly.
The unique aspect of Holy Grounds is that they serve Peet’s Coffee. Not only is Peet’s Coffee a fair traded product, but it is also amongst the highest quality.
#SpoonTip: Try the salted caramel iced coffee or the chocolate chip bagel.
After becoming addicted to Holy Grounds, students have no problem forgetting about their favorite coffee shops back home. Villanova one of the first universities to be apart of a movement that, in my opinion, should eventually become the basis for all trade worldwide.