Celebrating October National Fair Trade Month at Penn State Brandywine

October is Fair Trade month

October is not just a month filled with colorful leaves and pumpkin spice lattes; it’s also a month dedicated to raising awareness about Fair Trade. As we embrace the beauty of fall, let’s take a moment to delve into the significance of October National Fair Trade Month and discover the inspiring Fair Trade initiatives happening right on the Penn State Brandywine campus.

What is Fair Trade?

Fair Trade is a global movement that seeks to promote equitable trading relationships, fair wages, and sustainable practices for farmers and artisans in developing countries. It emphasizes social, economic, and environmental responsibility. By choosing Fair Trade products, consumers help support marginalized communities, ensuring they receive fair compensation for their labor and that their working conditions are safe and ethical. Fair Trade Month, observed in October, is a time to amplify the message of fairness and sustainability in trade practices, inspiring individuals and organizations to make conscious choices that positively impact the lives of those who produce the goods we enjoy.

Fair Trade Activities at Penn State Brandywine

Penn State Brandywine is doing its part to raise awareness about Fair Trade during this important month. Here are some of the exciting Fair Trade activities happening on campus:

Vairo Library’s Fair Trade Book Display: The Vairo Library is playing an essential role in spreading awareness about Fair Trade. They have curated a Fair Trade book display, providing students and faculty with a wealth of information and resources to learn more about Fair Trade principles and practices.
First Year Seminar Library Workshops: Librarian Annie Jansen is leading First Year Seminar library workshops that use Fair Trade as a sample topic for research. This initiative not only educates students about Fair Trade but also encourages them to explore the broader implications of ethical consumption.
Bookstore: The campus bookstore is offering Fair Trade products such as Larabars and Tony Chocolonely chocolates. By purchasing these items, students, faculty and staff can support Fair Trade while indulging in delicious snacks.
Blue Apple Cafe: The Blue Apple Cafe is also participating in Fair Trade Month by offering Fair Trade products like Perfect Bars and Hu Snacking Dark Chocolate Gems in two enticing varieties: salty and mint. It’s a delightful way to experience the flavors of Fair Trade.
Hunger Banquet on 10/17/23: A highlight of Fair Trade Month at Penn State Brandywine was the Hunger Banquet scheduled for October 17, 2023. This event was an opportunity for the campus community to come together, share a meal, and gain insights into issues related to global hunger and poverty. By attending, participants learned more about the importance of Fair Trade in addressing these critical challenges.

“Dr. Well’s Office is Fair Trade!

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“Dr. Well’s Office is Fair Trade!

Penn State Brandywine has been designated as a Fair-Trade University. For the past ten years, Penn State Brandywine has been a Fair-Trade Campus. Fair Trade products are available in the chancellor suite. Fair Trade products such as coffee, sugar, and tea are available in the chancellor suite.

According to Dr. Wells “Penn State Brandywine’s commitment to Fair Trade ideals, “selling and using products with a fair-trade seal, indicating they are made by workers who are paid a living wage, treated with dignity and work in safe, comfortable conditions” remains as strong today as it did 10 years ago when we were first designated a Fair-Trade University in 2012. Our values in our new strategic plan – connections, equity, and sustainability – each connects to Fair Trade ideals and are inspiring many programs and activities on campus from t-shirt swaps, clothesline art sales, and pancake breakfasts to documentary screenings, guest speakers, and leadership seminars.”

Ted Circle Event on Fair Trade

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Penn State Brandywine hosted a Ted Circle about Fair Trade on February 24, 2022. The event happened in Parsons Hall of the Student Union Building, between 12:15- 1:15 pm. There were over thirty students, faculty, and staff. Fair Trade lunch was served as part of the event, which included Fair Trade Peppercorn Ranch, Fair Trade Curry Chicken Salad, Fair Trade Tumeric Roasted Vegetable on Croissant, and Fair Trade Chocolate Chip Cookies. The discussion was led by Prof. Zoia Pavlovskaia, Lecturer in Business.

Do you know where you get your coffee, tea, bananas, and chocolate? Most of our products come from countries where human rights are being violated horribly. Many plantations in West Africa employ slave and child laborers. It is estimated that two million children are affected. The world’s poorest 2 billion people live on less than $2 a day. This information was highlighted in the two Ted talks that were watched and discussed at the event.

http://https://youtu.be/ibjUpk9Iagk

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How can we combat global poverty? By means of fair trading! We participate in the global economy now we have a drink of coffee in the morning. The world is ruled by consumers. Consumers select what is for sale by businesses based on supply and demand. Enormous power, however, comes with great responsibility. Consumers can also make demands about how items are created. Everyday purchases should reflect our core principles. Fairtrade can help producers become more powerful. Educate, encourage, and shop! Consumerism does not have to be a negative experience. Take a stand for justice. Take part in the movement.

Brandywine’s Fair Trade Year in Review 2020-21!

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What a challenging year it has been! Despite the pandemic, Penn State Brandywine’s Fair Trade subcommittee continued our efforts to maintain the Fair Trade status of our university, and to raise awareness and educate students, faculty, staff, and community about Fair Trade. While some on-campus events were canceled, we were able to continue our campaign in different ways by adding more resources online, holding virtual events and joining forces with other clubs once on-campus events were possible.

This year Fair Trade sub-committee moved into the newly formed Chancellor’s Commission on Sustainability. Dr. Mark Boudreau and Dr. Julie Stanton were faculty co-chairs, and Vippy Yee, Dr. Marina Skyers, Dr. Lynn Hartle, and Prof. Zoia Pavlovskaia were members of the Fair Trade sub-committee.

We missed engaging with everyone in-person, but it gave us room to work on projects we wouldn’t otherwise. For example, we worked to create the Fair Trade library guide https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/FairTrade and the Fair Trade webpage for the PSU Brandywine website https://www.brandywine.psu.edu/fair-trade that will be great ongoing resources for future generations of students and scholars. We also worked to update our Fair Trade blog during the Fall 2020 semester which is now hosted on the PSU website https://sites.psu.edu/fairtrade/.

We learned about the importance of flexibility and we tried different ways to engage with students by holding both virtual and in-person events. During Spring 2021 semester, we co-hosted “Fair Trade Chocolate is More Loveful: Ben Conard, Five North, and Valentine’s Day,” which was a Zoom guest speaker event with Media Fair Trade on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. We also participated in the kickoff on campus event for the annual Social Justice week on Monday, April 12, 2021. Attendees had an opportunity to learn more about social justice and Fair Trade while sampling some Fair Trade mini chocolates and snacks.

Prof. Pavlovskaia and Penn State Brandywine students at the kickoff event for the annual Social Justice week on Monday, April 12, 2021

We as a community—staff, faculty, and students—should be embracing Fair Trade more because it aligns with both the strategic development goals of our university and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. FT is a movement to help the farmers and workers in developing countries to get paid fairly and have access to the resources (i.e., compensation, credit, technical assistance etc.) needed to provide sustainable production (World Fair Trade Organization, 2020). Consumers around the world can support the movement by purchasing FT certified products, which confirm that products meet ethical principles and environmental standards that are set in accordance with the requirements.

Classes are scheduled to resume in-person in the Fall 2021, and we are looking forward to the next academic year. In the next year, students can attend events, look for and buy FT items in the bookstore and cafeteria, and are invited to talk to Prof. Zoia Pavlovskaia if they would like to learn more and start a student club on campus.

Tonle: A Zero-Waste Fashion Label

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Background

Rachel Faller is an entrepreneur and founder of Tonle, a zero-waste fashion label. Graduated in 2008 from Maryland Institute College of Art with a degree in fiber, Faller got really into making crafts, weaving, knitting, dyeing, and working on social justice works. What started out as “I don’t see myself going into the fashion industry because I knew the fashion industry had a lot of exploitation” progressed into where Faller, founder of Tonle, and her team is now creating sustainable clothes. Back in 2008, Faller applied and was granted a Fullbright research in Cambodia about fair trade fashion and traditional textiles. This opportunity opened Faller’s eyes and corroborated her values more to create Tonle. This was the kickstart to her future.

About Tonle

KeoK’jay, rebranded as Tonle, is a fashion label integrating social and environmental responsibility to make sustainable clothes. With a touch of contemporary design, all Tonle’s clothing is made from scrap fabric that major manufacturers throw out. Faller believed that they could take those extra fabrics and create a zero-waste label. Every piece of fabric is used and incorporated into so many designs. Tonle products are manufactured in Cambodia and sold in the U.S.

Their Values

Tonle’s values include purposefulness, that the clothing they create to the actions they take has a purpose and will create an impact. Inclusive: Tonle recognizes that the fashion industry has a lot of exploitation, and Tonle will not accept that. “Tonle is built on collaboration.” Finally, honesty: Tonle believes that being transparent is beneficial. Tonle does their research and works hard to fix mistakes and give credit to where it is due.

Tonle is an excellent example of what sustainability should be about. Nobody is excluded, workers are getting fair wages, and they are working very hard to create an impact economically but more importantly, environmentally.

Check out these amazing pieces all made from scrap and zero-waste: https://tonle.com/collections

To learn more about Tonle and how they started, watch this YouTube video.

Humanity Runs on Coffee

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What everyone must know about fairly certified coffee and how you can help.

What is Fair Trade?

On September 29th, millions of people across the world gathered together in public or on social media to celebrate National Coffee Day. More than 400 million cups of coffee are consumed everyday and our addiction is only growing. If one morning, everyone went out and bought fairly certified coffee, we would drive at least $2 million back to coffee farmers. Coffee is a huge staple in almost everyone’s life. Not realizing that the coffee industry is struggling, one day purchasing coffee is not going to be an easy task. But all you have to do is drink a cup of Fairly Certified coffee.

Fair Trade is the principle that creates opportunities for disadvantaged producers, ensures no child labor, ensures fair payment to the producers, and transparency and accountability are promoted. It is essentially an agreement by a seller to pay fair wages and provide good working conditions to those producing goods in developing countries.

Here are three companies that support fair trade coffee.

Green Mountain

Website: http://www.gmcr.com/

The Green Mountain offers the largest selection of Fair Trade Certified coffee in the United States. What began in 1981 in a small café in Waitsfield, Vermont, roasting and selling coffee. Soon demand for their coffee to be supplied at local restaurants increased. This coffee comes from parts of the world where coffee beans are grown in excellent condition such as Kenya and Ethiopia. Green Mountain’s message about Fair Trade is as follows “we are dedicated to purchasing high quality coffee while investing in quality of life for farmers today.”

Equal Exchange

Website: https://equalexchange.coop/

Equal Exchange had one specific goal in mind when they started running their organization; what if food could be traded in a way that is honest and fair, a way that empowers both farmers and consumers? Equal Exchange was solely built upon Fair Trade ideals where all of their products ranging from coffee, tea, and chocolate, support the sustainability of farmers. What kickstarted this organization is the coffee they imported from Nicaragua. In 1986, Reagan’s administration placed an embargo on all products from Nicaragua and importing coffee from here would demonstrate solidarity and challenge old US trade policies.

Burlap and Bean

Website: https://www.burlapandbean.com/

In 2006, Media PA, became America’s first Fair Trade Town. This town was committed to the promotion of Fair Trade certified goods. Located in Newtown Sqaure, PA, lies a gem: Burlap and Bean Coffee where 100% of the coffee they source is Organic and Fair Trade Certified. They have a wonderful selection of specialty drinks, snacks, and baked goods provided by local bakeries. Burlap and Bean Coffee is famously known for their heartwarming hospitality, live entertainment and of course a nice cup of coffee.

How you can show support

In honor of National Coffee Day, upload your favorite cup of Fairly Certified coffee with the hashtag #JustOneCup to show support for coffee farmers

Read and watch videos about what Fair Trade is and how it can positively affect the environment.

Subscribe to your favorite Fairly Certified Coffee Companies and start drinking their coffee

Follow social media pages on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and share their posts to reach a bigger audience

2019-20: Fair Trade Year in Review

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WE ARE Fair Trade campus! Penn State Brandywine has been a Fair Trade university since 2012 and WE ARE still working strong to support Fair Trade. It’s been several years since this website was last updated, and here is a recap of Fair Trade activities that happened during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Fair Trade has a special importance at Penn State Brandywine. First, our university is located in Media, PA, the first Fair Trade town in the United States. Second, Penn State Brandywine is the first and only Fair Trade University campus in the Penn State system.

Currently, Fair Trade is part of the Sustainability Committee on campus. This 2019-2020 year Dr. Mark Boudreau was the chair of the Sustainability Committee, and Dr. Samantha Pezzimenti and myself, Prof. Zoia Pavlovskaia, were members of the Fair Trade sub-committee.

I, Professor Pavlovskaia, joined Penn State Brandywine as a Lecturer in Business in August 2019 and I am a new Fair Trade representative for our university. I first learned about Fair Trade as an undergraduate student by traveling to El Salvador many years ago, and I have carried my passion through the years to now teach students about it. I am also involved locally with the Media Fair Trade Committee which recently featured Penn State Brandywine’s Fair Trade story in a blog post on their website.

To keep a Fair Trade designation, our university is required to host at least two Fair Trade events per semester. In Fall 2019, we hosted our annual Fair Trade banana and chocolate chip pancake breakfast, had a Fair Trade speaker presentation, and were part of the Destress Fest during finals week. In Spring 2020, we had a Fair Trade table at the MLK event and the Valentine’s Day event where students signed cards for farmers in Ecuador. All events were open to everyone on campus. For majority of events we partnered with other clubs and organizations on campus such as MarComm Club, BEAST, cafeteria, and the campus library. The Spring 2020 semester was interrupted with the COVID-19 virus and no events were hosted during the second half of the semester when classes were held online.

In addition to events, we distributed “For A Better World” free publication around campus; developed Fair Trade signs for the drinks cooler in the cafeteria; displayed a large Fair Trade banners around campus to educate about Fair Trade during the Fair Trade month of October 2019; participated in the Equal Exchange Fundraiser and in Virtual 2020 National Conference; and, lastly, we had Elizabeth Killough of Media Fair Trade as our Fall 2019 commencement speaker.