Leadership and strategy
- The Fairtrade Committee has undergone some changes to membership over the past two years. The membership of the Committee has broadened to include Liz Thompson who is the University’s Environment and Sustainability Manager, Adam Gomes, the University’s Head of Health and Safety, and Jo Vale, Programme Coordinator for Further Education within the University. The student representation on the Committee continues to be positive with very committed and active members from the Union of Students. The Committee continues to include University Procurement and Retail Managers along with members of the Chaplaincy and academic staff. The Committee continues to be Chaired by Rosemary Horry, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management.
- The Fairtrade Committee reports through the University’s Environmental Sustainability Steering Group, Chaired by Professor Chris Bussell, who is the Executive Lead for the University’s Environmental Sustainability. Adam Gomes, as a member of the University Leadership Group, provides senior leadership representation on the Fairtrade Committee.
- The Committee has overseen the review and re-signing of the University’s commitment to Fairtrade through the published University Fairtrade Statement and supporting Action Plan. The work of the University in Fairtrade is published on the institutional website.
- Over the past two years, there has been greater engagement with the nation-wide Fairtrade University Group. The Group share ideas and good practice, which included peer-to-peer audit with the University of Kingston.
Campaigning and influencing
Over the last year, we have grown our impact in terms of Campaigning and Influencing through:
- Broadening our geographical reach; and
- Increasing student leadership.
For the first time, we put on a Fairtrade Fortnight event at the University’s Markeaton Site, where many of the University’s more technical courses are based. Our event had the advantage of novelty, since there are very few campaigns or promotions of any kind at this site. It was thus not too challenging to attract steady interest in the stall. The University’s commitment to Fairtrade was reinforced by the Fairtrade offer in the nearby coffee shop.
However, our major breakthrough this year has been in identifying students willing and able to lead campaigning and influencing work either alongside staff committee members, or independently.
Student HA ran the Fairtrade stall at Freshers’ Fair, and successfully encouraged scores of new students to complete a survey about ethical consumption. We see this as evidence that the “student talking to students” approach increased the impact of our Freshers’ campaign, in attracting more students, who spent more time at the stall, enjoying the Fairtrade chocolate samples, and then engaging with a series of stimulating questions about their own position on Fairtrade and ethical consumerism. One new student, SS, attracted by the stall, expressed a desire to set up a Fairtrade Society. She is currently working through the necessary procedures with the Union of Students. SS and HA subsequently ran two Fairtrade stalls at University Sustainability Fairs, attracting further interest both in Fairtrade and in the new Society. Once set up, the Society will have a hugely positive effect on our Campaigning and Influencing work, and increase its impact, as students reach out to fellow students with key Fairtrade messages.
Procurement, retail and catering
- This is the area of work where we continue to have challenges, mainly due to the number of items which are not applicable to our sales outlets. Nevertheless, all procurement partners remain committed to building up stocks as and when footfall and purchasing patterns allow. Blends, the Union’s flagship Fairtrade coffee bar continues to stock largely Fairtrade brands.
- We are challenging our suppliers on the number and range of items which are offered as Fairtrade, but issues such as minimum order requirements remain a challenge, particularly in relation to FT bananas.
- We have been working with the catering providers to collect Fairtrade sales data where available so that we can monitor our return to a healthy level of Fairtrade sales across all outlets.
- The University’s Model Tender Questions and Response Guidance gives Fairtrade as an example of how supply chains across the University can ensure ethical considerations.
Research and curriculum
- We have promoted opportunities for students to research aspects of Fairtrade as part of their coursework or dissertations, especially through Environmental Sciences, Culinary Arts, Law, Hospitality and Tourism.
- Significant numbers of staff are promising to take part in the annual Global teach-in running throughout March, increasing the teaching related to the SDGs across the University.
Innovation
Our most innovative activity this year has been to make Fairtrade part of the programme for the University’s Sustainability Champions, a new network launched by committee member Liz Thompson. The network has 67 staff members from a variety of departments across the University, including both academic and professional staff. They are tasked with completing actions throughout the year relating to different sustainability themes to achieve awards for their team/department.
One of the themes has been Fairtrade and has included a task to ensure the tea, coffee, and sugar they use locally is Fairtrade. The Fairtrade Committee has also put on a Fairtrade workshop for the Sustainability Champions to raise awareness of why choosing Fairtrade is important and the impact it can have on communities and people’s lives. 21 people attended this workshop and it was also recorded for those unable to attend.
Impact
Over the last two years, building on learning from previous years, we aimed at more impactful work:
- We have had 9 students apply to be auditors this year and that is a huge increase on the last audit numbers.
- We are supporting the Student Ethics and Environment officer to start a Fairtrade/Sustainability Student Society, based on interest gathered at Freshers’ Fair and subsequent events.
- We have improved the impact of our events through students on our Freshers stands and other events, they are it seems more effective at engaging students.
- We aim, with every event and encounter, to encourage student and staff engagement with Fairtrade, and to help people make the decision to buy more Fairtrade products.
Our new year of work will focus on how we can be even more committed to Fairtrade and how we can get more students involved:
- We need to be more social media engaged and will look to engage with the University’s Twitter, Facebook & Instagram to increase awareness, especially around Fairtrade Fortnight.
- Working with the student officer for Environment we are supporting her to create a Fairtrade/Sustainability Society
- Bigger event for Fairtrade fortnight 2024.
- Work with suppliers to increase the level and variety of Fairtrade products sold on campus.
- Apply the learning from the recent surveys we have conducted and build on this year’s success in achieving a higher response rate to the Fairtrade undergraduate survey.
- Encourage via the Responsible Futures Forum more active Fairtrade research from staff and students.