As part of Dundee’s bid to become a Fairtrade city, the University has joined the campaign and is looking to establish itself as a Fairtrade University.
The Fairtrade campaign seeks to offer a fair price for primary producers of goods, notably farmers in developing countries, who often suffer appalling hardship as a result of the low prices dictated by large buying cartels. Foods like coffee, tea, bananas and other fruits are the most commonly known Fairtrade products. The Fairtrade campaign has had significant success in promoting and selling these Fairtrade products and with pressure from consumers, the big supermarkets are now carrying a range of Fairtrade products.
The University has established a small group of students, staff and advisers from the local One World Centre to promote the values and accessibility of Fairtrade throughout the University. It is felt that the University should be a leader in spreading awareness that the consumer has a choice of products and that their choice can make a significant difference to people’s lives in other countries.
The group has started by encouraging staff and students’ coffee and tea rooms to consider changing their coffee and tea supplies to Fairtrade products. These products are readily available, are of a similar price to non Fairtrade products and are tasty and of high quality. For keen Fairtraders on campus, fairly traded sugar is also now available in supermarkets under a Trade Aid UK label and a wide range of Fairtrade products are also available at Oxfam, The Health Store and Stobswell Fair Trade Shop in Albert Street, Dundee.
"It is a small contribution, but the power of taking this step says much about our community and our international perspective", said Ashley Cummins, Anglican Chaplain. "As well-off and educated people we should be leading the push to ensure a fairer economic deal for producers all over the world."
Joan Concannon, Director of External Relations said, "I have made a conscious decision to serve fairly traded coffee at meetings in my office. It is a small but effective step and the coffee is always well received by my colleagues."
The group will be looking to influence shops on campus to stock fairly traded products and spread wider understanding of the issue among staff and students. A Fairtrade stall with a wide selection of fairly traded goods is open in the foyer of the Chaplaincy every Friday lunchtime during term time from 1-2pm.
Contact Ashley Cummins for more information a.cummins@dundee.ac.uk
For more information ask any staff member at the Library.