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Let's be friendsStep 1. Spreading the word
- Holding a successful Fairtrade stall
- Sweet Injustice: The chocolate game
- Winning them over: Frequently Asked Questions
- From football to fashion shows: More ideas for Fairtrade events
Step 2. Get Fairtrade products stocked in your school or university
- Getting Fairtrade stocked
- Good answers to bad excuses: Catering Mythbusting
Step 3. Becoming a Fairtrade school or university
BAD EXCUSE: Fairtrade will cost more…
Not necessarily. Many schools and universities have found they cost no more than other products. There are a lot of myths amongst catering purchasers that Fairtrade costs more but many ethical brands cost less while still offering more to the grower. For example, some Fairtrade coffees currently on offer are cheaper than well-known brands. But even if Fairtrade coffee, for example, is as much as 10 percent more expensive than your school´s current coffee, that would still probably work out at no more than a penny a cup more - and most students are happy to pay this.
It is also worth remembering that where Fairtrade does cost a little more, it reflects the fact that the producers are not being exploited and have instead been paid a fair price for their labour.
Demonstrate that it won’t cost them more than non-Fairtrade products by:
- Getting in touch with other schools and universities who already sell Fairtrade to show that it isn’t true. Ask P&P for help in making contacts.
- Doing some research into Fairtrade catering options
BAD EXCUSE: Fairtrade products don’t come in the right catering packs…
This might have been true five years ago but it´s not true today! Fairtrade products like tea and coffee are now available in the full range of catering formats, so they can be used in most types of catering and vending machines.
BAD EXCUSE: We’re locked into a contract with a private catering company who don’t do Fairtrade…
These days many schols and universities sign a contract with an outside catering company to operate all their canteens and cafés. Normally these contracts last for a few years and give control of what food and drink is served to the private company. Some of these catering companies like Scholarest and Sodexho are massive global companies that run thousands of outlets all over the world.
However, as many student groups have already proved, this doesn´t mean that you can´t get Fairtrade into these privately-operated canteens. The same tactics - petitions and protests - to put pressure on the private companies will often persuade them to start selling Fairtrade.
If they stubbornly refuse to support Fairtrade, you can always ask your school or university not to renew the contract. These catering contracts normally come up for renewal every few years, and competition between the different catering companies is intense. If the company feels they may lose their contract if they refuse to sell Fairtrade, they will probably become much more flexible!
Changing contracts
Students at the London School of Economics refused to take no for an answer during their campaign. Despite their union having long-term contracts with huge private catering companies they were still successful. By passing a motion in their Union General Meeting they obliged the companies to look into Fairtrade options when their contracts were up for renewal. A coffee shop opened soon afterwards stocking nothing but Fairtrade products!
BAD EXCUSE: Our catering machines are on free loan from our supplier, so we can´t change…
Sometimes tea and coffee suppliers provide free loans of drinks machines to canteens on the condition that they only use their products. However:
- This only affects tea and coffee.
- Sometimes the current supplier will already have a Fairtrade option available.
- Some companies that supply Fairtrade also supply drinks machines, so why can´t your school or university switch to them instead?
BAD EXCUSE: We´d love to but we can´t find a supplier…
Try looking a little harder. There are now hundreds of nationwide suppliers of Fairtrade who already supply lots of different Fairtrade products to schools and universities. And if you have any problems, why not call the companies that make Fairtrade products - such as Cafédirect and Equal Exchange - directly? They will be only too happy to provide details of wholesale suppliers who can supply your school or university, wherever it is.
BAD EXCUSE: We need to sell high quality products and Fairtrade doesn´t taste good enough…
Rubbish - Fairtrade products are of the highest quality and many have won quality and taste awards. They are now sold in major supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury´s and in high-street shops. Fairtrade drinks are even sold in the House of Commons tea room! This wouldn´t happen if they didn´t taste good. There are a range of products and flavours to suit all tastes - simply try them.
Challenging the canteen
The P&P group at Frensham Heights School for Girls have been having problems getting the school kitchen to agree to serve Fairtrade products. So the sixth-formers have taken matters into their own hands and are bringing in their own Fairtrade tea and coffee instead of buying it from the school canteen!
Have you been given a bad excuse?
If you’ve been fobbed off with a bad excuse by your school or uni that’s left you at an impasse with your Fairtrade initiative,then send it to us and we’ll try to suggest a good answer to it.
If you enter your email address, we’ll send you our advice, and also post it on this page if it seems like an excuse other students might encounter.
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