THE COFFEE many of you are currently sipping is the result of centuries of oppression. For that matter, many of the goods we consume, especially those made in developing countries, contribute to the exploitation of millions. One way to combat this effect is to change the way markets work by buying Fair Trade products. Fair Trade offerings around Grounds are expanding, and students must make it clear that the demand for these products is high enough to justify their presence.
Fair Trade products are purchased more directly from the producers, ensuring a fair market price for their product. The movement towards these products has gained support because the project is more sustainable than direct aid. A farmer in a developing country who can sell his goods on the global market is more likely to be able to sustain a degree of economic growth by investing in better farming techniques and more capital. Farmers can thus become less dependent on foreign aid and investment. Eventually, the local economy as a whole benefits from the increased wealth and economic independence.
The hopeless situation in which traditional markets place farmers in developing countries makes such a project necessary. Even those few lucky farmers who own their own land rely on (often foreign) firms to purchase their goods and to sell them to consumers in wealthier countries. The farmers are neither stupid nor incompetent, but the rules and impossibilities of international trade often force them into situations in which their best option is one that restricts investment and impedes growth. Over the past few decades, it has become all too clear that this result will not go away if changes are not made. Massive aid from the governments of developed countries could be a solution, but those governments have been reticent to dedicate enough aid and in effective ways. Fair Trade offers the average consumer a means to help break the vicious cycle of poverty in the developing world without relying on government action.
Last year, the issue of social justice was brought to the foreground of student debate by the Living Wage Campaign. Much of the opposition to the group's proposal stemmed from the argument that since a "living wage" would not be based on market forces, it would not be a sustainable means of alleviating poverty. Fair Trade offers a sustainable, market-based approach. If those who opposed the Living Wage Campaign truly did so out of economic considerations, they should embrace an initiative like Fair Trade.Similarly, those who oppose government-mandated aid programs on the basis of personal freedom ought to support this voluntary, consumer-driven project. To do otherwise shows that both of these arguments truly stem from apathy and greed.
According to Melissa Reese, president of Students Promoting Fair Trade, the group has succeeded in getting Aramark, the company that runs the convenience stores and dining halls on Grounds, to guarantee the availability of Fair Trade coffee at the Java City stores in the University bookstore and the West Range Café, at The Crossroads and at the C3 store at the Pav. Greenberry's in Alderman Café will also start offering Fair Trade coffee. This promise is an important step forward for attempts to bring Fair Trade to the University, but the entire University community must now make a conscious effort to support this campaign.
Reese stresses that unless Aramark sees a demand for Fair Trade coffees, they are likely to stop offering them. This is especially the case at the Bookstore location, which will give Fair Trade espresso a "trial run." Students need to prove to Aramark that they do care about promoting the Fair Trade project by choosing Fair Trade coffee when given the option. These coffees are marked with a black-and-white label. Further, if those coffees are not offered at a given location, students should request them. Aramark is not going to pursue Fair Trade options on its own but will be forced to do so if enough students demand it. The burden now rests on the University to prove that we are not so apathetic that we are unwilling to change our choice of coffee in order to help poor farmers support themselves.
Coffee is a logical first step due to its availability and its popularity amongst students, but it is not the only Fair Trade product. Should the coffee experiment succeed, the University and Aramark should look for ways to expand Fair Trade offerings on Grounds. Neither will do so, however, without the support of the University's students. Buying Fair Trade is not just a matter of choosing to do something good. It is choosing not to support a system that places no value on producers' well-being and makes development impossible.
Daniel Colbert's column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at dcolbert@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
EDITORIAL: Carla Williams deserves her seat at the table
By Editorial Board | 2 days agoLooking beyond basketball and football reveals that Virginia Athletics is, in many ways, thriving.
UPADHYAYA: The Great and not-so-Good sides of U.Va.’s 2030 housing plan
By Apal Upadhyaya | 4 days agoInstead of improving the dire state of existing infrastructure, however, the University has shifted attention away from it and chosen to expand.
EDITORIAL: Support low-barrier shelters in Charlottesville
By Editorial Board | 5 days agoInvesting in low-barrier shelters now will pay off in increased stability for the homeless, which will undoubtedly improve the safety of shelters and the community writ large.
