In the quest to achieve sustainability it is often the most easily-quantifiable of the three pillars of sustainability, those of economic vitality and environmental health and protection, which are invested in on campuses. And initiatives like campus solar installations, fleet changes, and LEED certified buildings are certainly critical components of a sustainable campus. But what about the third pillar, that of social justice? While many of the energy efficiencies and upgrades undoubtedly produce social benefits, they tend to be fortunate side effects rather than the initial goals. Fair trade purchasing, on the other hand, clearly addresses the social justice pillar by ensuring that farmers and craftspeople receive a fair price for their goods.

The Fair Trade Practices & Policies resource will be useful for campuses looking to realize social sustainability goals. There is much to be learned from the large variety in the venues campuses have chosen for promoting and selling fair trade products and in the kinds of goods that can be certified fair trade. Though coffee is by far the most common “fairly-traded” product, some campuses have expanded their offerings to include fair trade tea, bananas, sugar, chocolate, crafts, and even ice cream. Additionally, fairly traded products are often produced with environmental sustainability in mind – many fair trade coffee brands, for example, offer organic and shade grown varieties, thereby reducing dangerous chemical use and deforestation threats –and are economically sustainable for the famers and craftspeople, ensuring a fair selling price, and for the end users, by ensuring an ongoing source for those products.

Fair trade offerings should be a widely-available staple on college and university campuses looking to achieve sustainability and do their part for social justice, and we hope this resource will help you achieve that goal.