BU focused on fair trade

18 September 2007

Our status as a Fairtrade University is assured following praise from the Fairtrade Foundation.

BU has successfully maintained its status as a Fairtrade University for another year, earning praise from the Fairtrade Foundation for our great progress over the last 12 months.

In a feedback report, the Foundation praised our commitment to promote Fairtrade on our campuses, highlighting:

The extensive range of Fairtrade products that are available, including Fairtrade cotton clothing in Students’ Union shops
The use of Fairtrade tea, coffee and sugar for meetings and events, and the addition of Fairtrade wine to the hospitality offering
The variety of promotional activities and events organised on campus, and the resulting external media coverage
The existence of two Café Direct branded outlets on our Talbot Campus.

Mike Riordan is Director of Human Resources at BU and Chair of the University’s Fairtrade Steering Group. He said: “BU is committed to Fair Trade and we’re very pleased that our status as a Fair Trade University has been renewed for the coming year.

“For us, achieving Fair Trade status is part of a University-wide strategy to ensure that students, graduates and staff develop as ‘global citizens'.”

BU is one of some 50 universities and colleges from across the UK to have achieved Fairtrade status to date. We were originally awarded Fairtrade status in 2006, after achieving five initial goals.

These included:

The approval of an official Fairtrade Policy
The establishment of an institutional steering group
Committing to sell Fairtrade products in all University outlets
Committing to use Fairtrade products at internal meetings and events
Committing to campaign for increased Fairtrade consumption.

Our internal Fair Trade Steering Group will continue to monitor the institution’s progress in these areas before reporting to the Fairtrade Foundation on an annual basis.

“We cannot expect students to learn about global perspectives and develop as global citizens unless the University is prepared to 'walk the talk',” says Christine Shiel, Chair of the University's Global Perspectives Group, and member of the Fair Trade Steering Group.

“Fairtrade status is a positive symbol of institutional commitment to sustainable development, and education has an important role to play with respect to this agenda. We need to be leaders of change.”