February 25, 2015, by sustainablenottingham

Fairtrade Fortnight at the University

Did you know that the University of Nottingham has been a Fairtrade University since 2004?

Fairtrade Fortnight is from Monday 23rd February until Sunday 8th March

The University is holding a variety of events and activities throughout the two weeks, which include; Fairtrade milkshakes, cupcakes and muffins being sold at the Juice Bar, Coates Cafe selling items made using Fairtrade produce and a variety of Fairtrade products available for sampling in various locations.

The Sustainability Team are also running a social media photograph competition, asking people to capture their Fairtrade purchases for a chance to win a hamper full of Fairtrade goodies! For more information visit the Sustainability website and the Facebook page.

But what does this mean?

The University first achieved Fairtrade Accreditation in 2004 and successfully achieved Re-accreditation the following year. People & Planet’s Green League, which measures universities’ systematic approaches to environmental maintenance and performance, assigns Fairtrade certification as an objective standard to demonstrate universities’ commitment to sustainability: a sustainable university will contribute to building sustainable development not just in the UK but also in the wider world through its purchasing policies.

The University’s commitment to improving its environmental performance and promoting Fairtrade in the world is reaffirmed in its established Fairtrade Policy and updated Environmental Policy.The University of Nottingham has made a commitment to supporting and using Fairtrade products. The University ensures that as many Fairtrade products as possible, including food, drink and clothing, are available in as many places as possible in and around the university. Increasing the use and sales of Fairtrade products can have a huge impact for producers and their communities.

Fairtrade is a strategy intended to alleviate poverty and to spread sustainable development. It aims to give better opportunities to producers and workers in developing countries who endure unacceptable working and living conditions as a result of poor market access and unfair trade rules. The Fairtrade Universities and Colleges scheme started in 2003 when Oxford Brookes University became the first Fairtrade University. It was quickly joined by the University of Birmingham and then the scheme really took off as students across the country took up the challenge. There are now over 170 Fairtrade Universities and Colleges in the UK, with many more working towards status.

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