Georgetown Students for Fair Trade, a group that has worked to offer fair trade coffee on the Georgetown campus since last spring, has now expanded into a national organization and recently widened its campaign to include chocolate products. From Jan. 20 to Feb. 20, members of GSFT will be selling Divine Sweethearts, named to coincide with Valentine’s Day. Georgetown is one of nine campuses across the country participating in this national fundraising contest.
The chocolate is manufactured by the Day Company in Germany, which works with farmers in Ghana who produce chocolate without child labor or forced labor. In exchange for implementing these labor standards, the farmers are guaranteed a minimum of 80 cents per pound of cocoa.
The fair trade chocolate contest is the first official event of United Students for Fair Trade. USFT, of which GSFT is now a part, was founded in the summer of 2002 as an umbrella organization to coordinate a national effort to promote fair labor practices throughout the world. Money raised from chocolate sales will both support cocoa farmers in Ghana and fund USFT and GSFT.
Georgetown student and GSFT president Stephanie Faith Green (SFS ‘05) and George Washington University student Lina Musayev founded USFT to present a “positive alternative to free trade.” Their goal in founding USFT was to get campuses around the country to sell only fair trade products.
This specific fundraiser is intended not only to raise money but also to increase awareness of USFT’s goals, according to Green. While fair trade coffee has become relatively well known in recent months, Green stressed that the fair trade movement extends beyond coffee.
Green wants Georgetown eventually to offer fair trade chocolate, tea and espresso. And while Uncommon Grounds and Vital Vittles will be offering fair trade chocolate for the duration of the fundraiser, Green hopes to make this a continuing arrangement.
In addition, Green said that she hopes that through this fundraiser college students will begin to accept “the responsibility of being educated consumers.” When students go to the grocery story or the coffee shop, Green said, they should be aware that their actions have implications throughout the world.
The Divine Sweethearts fundraiser is only the first part of USFT’s campaign. GSFT plans to hold “Fair Trade Fridays,” when it will sell fair trade chocolate in Leavey Center. A teach-in will take place today with the founder of the Day Company and a representative from TransFair, the only national organization that certifies fair trade products. In February, USFT will hold its national kickoff conference in Seattle.
Green emphasized USFT’s desire to inform students about fair trade.
“There is always education to be done,” Green said.
