Fair Trade
What’s the Fairtrade difference?
Choosing to buy Fairtrade products helps to combat poverty, improves environmental sustainability, and makes a real difference to the lives of farmers and workers along the supply chain.
As a community of more than 60,000 consumers, the choices we make as a university can make a world of difference. Each item you choose to purchase on campus can have a positive, powerful impact on agricultural communities around the world.
By choosing a Fairtrade product, you can ensure that the person at the start of the supply chain is paid adequately, works in decent conditions, has better terms of trade, and has the chance to generate more income and live with greater freedom. Choosing Fairtrade also promotes local environmental sustainability and encourages investment in small businesses.
We’re a certified university
The University of Melbourne has had Fairtrade accreditation since May 2013, following the leadership of a group of passionate students.
The University has committed to:
- Stock fair trade tea and coffee in at least 50% of kitchenettes across campus,
- Serve fair trade tea and coffee in Council and Senior Executive meetings,
- Encourage other cafes and outlets to offer fair trade options,
- Over time, look at fair trade alternatives for products such as clothing and sports equipment, and
- Let you know which cafes on campus offer Fairtrade tea and coffee.
Moving towards 100% Fairtrade kitchenettes
In 2018, we committed to moving towards 100% Fairtrade kitchenette consumables across campuses as outlined in our Sustainability Plan. This includes tea, coffee, drinking chocolate, sugar and soap.
How do I know it’s Fairtrade?
The Fairtrade certification guarantees a product has been independently assessed to meet international social, economic and environmental Fairtrade standards. This means that workers have been treated fairly, are being paid enough, and have job security long into the future.
Look out for the blue and green Fairtrade logo on product packaging.
The University also accepts Rainforest Alliance and UTZ certified products, which ensure similar standards have been meet in the supply chain.
Choose fair trade, use fair trade
Next time you buy from your favourite café on campus, check that they use Fairtrade coffee or ingredients, or switch to one that does.
You can also shop at the Fairtrade Fortnight Market held on Parkville campus in May each year. Visit Fairtrade Australia for more tips on switching to Fairtrade.
Join the Fairtrade Steering Committee
We are looking for passionate and committed students to help the University remain a leader in social sustainability through joining the Fairtrade Steering Committee in 2020.
The committee meets quarterly to discuss University priorities and obstacles that might come in the way of meeting our Fairtrade commitment and accreditation. The agreed actions are led by student groups between meetings. Through being a member of the committee you will have the chance to gain skills in event management, communications and partnerships.
We will be recruiting for committee members for 2020 in the beginning of semester one. For any questions, please contact the Sustainability Team.
Fair Trade Committee Meeting Dates
Stay tuned for the scheduled committee meeting dates for 2020.
Meeting Minutes
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For farmers, workers and their families in the developing world, our fair trade choices will translate into fairer prices, decent working conditions, better terms of trade, more income and greater control over life.
Choosing fair trade also helps promote greater investment in quality and local environmental sustainability.
I'm happy because I have a lot of time in my kiosk... the time I was wasting going to fetch water I've saved and I'm also saving money from the kitchen garden and from the dairy, the milk has increased... after the tank has come I have saved some money. Teresa Kurgat
It's not just a coffee bean, it is a vehicle for peace within our homes and education through the Fairtrade principles, so we really need to look at all the important benefits we've had from Fairtrade, mainly us producers. Teresa Riviera Palacios
We experienced very difficult times when we weren't in Fairtrade. We didn't have the resources to provide an education for my children and the banana business barely provided enough for basic meals... Being in Fairtrade makes me very happy, knowing that there are opportunities to achieve some of the goals I had planned. Albeiro Alfonso ‘Foncho’ Cantillo
Initially I used to get less than one bag of maize but after I received the fertilizer this year I managed to get up to 10 bags of maize... but now with fertilizer I’ve got enough food for my kids. Rahel Mhabuka
