It is difficult here at Cabrini to not be familiar with the phrase “Fair Trade.” The coffee and chocolate in Jazzmen’s are Fair Trade, there are Fair Trade seminars and many classes touch or focus on the topic. Cabrini College is one of twenty colleges and universities around the country on their way to becoming officially recognized as a Fair Trade certified campus.
What does that mean for us as students? When we purchase Fair Trade products, we are supporting communities in developing countries that make the ingredients. These communities receive a fair wage for the work they do from Fair Trade, as opposed to many industrial companies who make workers live on pennies a day.
Becoming a Fair Trade certified college requires a few different steps that, as socially just minded students and faculty here at Cabrini will be able to accomplish in time. The key is determination to aid those who need it by simply stocking our dining facilities and school store with products certified by the Fair Trade Federation.
Fair Trade products are of no lesser quality than anything else, and are usually no more expensive so there is no reason to avoid them if they are offered. Jazzman’s coffee is Fair Trade certified and tastes just as good as any other coffee, but has a much greater impact on the worker who harvested the beans.
Cabrini College is focused on social justice, so it is a natural fit for us to be concerned about Fair Trade. If we work hard enough to become a Fair Trade certified college, it will be one more achievement on our repertoire of extraordinary things Cabrini does to ensure we are helping those in need.
