The University of British Columbia has been named Canada’s first “Fair Trade Campus” and will get its very own blend of ethically sourced coffee as a result of its national leadership on Fair Trade purchasing.
The designation, the result of a collaboration with UBC’s Engineers Without Borders chapter, is by Fairtrade Canada, the Canadian arm of a global non-profit Fair Trade certification system that supports producers in developing nations and encourages individuals and organizations to purchase ethically-sourced consumer goods.
With the accreditation, UBC joins the City of Vancouver – which last year was the first city in Canada to become a “Fair Trade Town” – and more than 100 global universities that have committed to buy Fair Trade coffee, tea, chocolate and tropical fruit from producers who guarantee higher social, environmental and pay standards for farmers and workers.
Students have played a key role UBC’s Fair Trade initiatives. UBC became the first Canadian university to adopt Fair Trade coffee – in Alma Mater Society (AMS) student union eateries in 2004 and UBC Food Services outlets in 2006 – as a result of student feedback. Since then, in collaboration with students, UBC has developed sustainable purchasing principles, a code of conduct for suppliers and has added Fair Trade chocolate, tea and tropical fruit to the menus of more than 20 campus food outlets.
UBC Fair Trade statistics (2010-2011):
- 8,975 kg of coffee, or nearly 1,436,000 eight oz. cups of coffee
- Approx. 429,000 tea bags
- More than 2300 chocolate bars
- More than 1,885 kg of bananas
For more information, visit http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2011/05/05/ubc-named-canada%E2%80%99s-first-fair-trade-campus/
