By Ashleigh Clement
Have you ever been at the grocery store and noticed on a product you're about to purchase the words, "Fair Trade Certified" or "Fair Trade Federation?"
The guess is that most of you think you know what that certification means, right? Well, the re-founders of the Fair Trade Club had no idea what this meant until May 2008.
Ashleigh Clement, a senior, and Joanna Spoth, a 2009 graduate student, volunteered with the Nicaragua Service Immersion Plunge during May 2008. These UP students realized the importance of educating others about Fair Trade after working in communities, such as coffee and cotton cooperatives, that depend on selling their products at a fair wage.
The two students recognized the impact of fair trade within these communities and made a pact to come back to the UP campus and re-establish the Fair Trade Club that existed years ago.
Through these students' experiences in Nicaragua they were educated about fair trade and its global impact. Fair trade is paying a fair wage for goods and services within the local context of a country.
A fair wage is established as the minimum wage within each country. Unfortunately, the current minimum wage in some countries is not enough to meet basic survival needs.
Wages need to be established on a "living wage" basis, which would take into account the direct and indirect costs of production.
This small wage increase, due to setting a living, fair trade wage, will drastically improve lifestyles for people living in these communities. For one coffee cooperative community in Nicaragua, the fair trading of their coffee beans means they have enough gallo de pinto (beans and rice) for each meal.
Additionally, this particular community had the money to build a school for the younger students.
Not only does paying a fair wage for products help communities become healthier, promote education, provide food, increase development and encourage personal respect and dignity; globally, a fair wage creates a more sustainable economy.
What it really comes down to is your choice, if you choose to spend an extra $1 or so for a Fair Trade Certified product. That extra $1 can impact millions of people worldwide; $1 is a day's wage for a typical Nicaraguan.
The club is seeking to educate and create awareness about the importance of fair trade and sustainability on campus and within the community.
The club is planning to invite professors to speak about the significance of fair trade, sustainability and global impacts. Other local community members involved in sustainability departments and fair trade shops will also be attending these meetings, share their stories and explain their personal efforts.
The Fair Trade Club plans to visit a number of local coffee roasters who exclusively roast Fair Trade Certified coffee beans, in an effort to learn about their process of purchasing beans and selling to consumers.
A fundraiser is also planned for the spring semester; all proceeds will be donated to the L.A.U.R.E.N. Foundation, named for a former UP student who participated in the 2008 Nicaragua program and passed away last year.
The Fair Trade Club invites all students to attend the meetings; it is never too late to join.
The meetings are held once a month and notifications are sent via e-mails and fliers posted throughout campus.
Please contact Ashleigh Clement, clement10@up.edu or Shanay Healy, healy13@up.edu with any comments or questions. Be a fair trade supporter and join the club!
Ashleigh Clement is a senior global business major.
Photo courtesy of
www.marltoncoffee.com
