Three State University of New York campuses are leaders in promoting fair trade coffee
By Veronica Foley

During the summer of 2008, I had the pleasure to be an intern at the Labor-Religion Coalition, and I quickly learned the ins and outs of fair trade coffee. With my new knowledge I was given the task of surveying State University campuses to determine where their food service departments purchased coffee for their dining halls, and how many blends of that coffee are fair trade.

With this information the Coalition plans to produce a list to share with student activists, professors or anyone interested in knowing what fair trade options are available on campuses. The Coalition also plans to compose a letter to be sent to the schools to share information about fair trade coffee—including 100% fair trade coffee options such as Equal Exchange and Pura Vida—and how to get it on their campus

Through conversations with individuals that head departments such as dining services and auxiliary services at eleven schools, I have come across misunderstandings about fair trade. These misunderstandings include what fair trade coffee is and the fact that coffee providers range from being about 2% fair trade to 100% fair trade certified. This means not all of the coffee they purchase is helping improve the lives of the farmers. Fair trade coffee prices keep a family’s children in school and out of the fields, while their parents are able to provide for their families and reinvest in their communities. I also got the impression that the concept of fair trade was not fully grasped and that there may be fair trade options on campus, but students and staff don’t have much information as to what they are buying. This is where the Labor-Religion Coalition is hoping to help when they send out their letter to campuses.

Some schools that I believe are on the right track are SUNY Oswego, SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Purchase. SUNY Oswego has taken a large step forward in promoting fair trade coffee by switching to Equal Exchange coffee this summer. SUNY New Paltz provides four fair trade blends from Green Mountain and plans to order more for the 2008-2009 school year. Lastly, SUNY Purchase has a Pura Vida (100% fair trade) café on campus. Schools such as these are models for other SUNY schools to follow.

Last Updated: 10/08/2008
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