Fair Trade at Ontario Tech
FAIRTRADE DESIGNATION
We are proud to announce that Ontario Tech University has been awarded a Fair-Trade Campus Designation by Fairtrade Canada, in recognition of the institution's dedication to promoting fairtrade practices and sustainability on campus.
What does Fairtrade mean to us?
It's more than just a designation—it's a commitment to support farmers who produce the crops we consume.
Fairtrade guarantees:
- A minimum price and fair wages to farmers.
- Improves working conditions for farmers
- Improves living conditions of families in developing countries
- Funds community development projects (health care, sanitation, schools and building vital infrastructure)
- Sets standards to protect the environment through sustainable agricultural practices
Link to the full story here.
These are some of the ways in which we are working on promoting Fair Trade at Ontario Tech:
- Running a Fair Trade steering committee
- Balanced membership of volunteers and administrative representatives on our steering committee.
- Regular meetings to discuss goals, assess progress, and adjust fair trade initiatives.
- Expanded variety of Fair Trade certified products on campus, encouraged others to meet criteria, and submitted annual progress reports.
- Offering Fair Trade products at campus operated dining locations
- Fairtrade coffee (Mountain View Estates & our own brand RIDGEBACK Brew).
- Fairtrade tea (Numi Organic Tea).
- Fairtrade chocolate bar (camino).
- Offering Faritrade Catering for our events
- Parternering up with locally sourced caterers and providing Fairtrade products at our catered events.
- Hosting, engaging and educational Fair Trade events
- Handing out educational materials, Fair Trade products and teaching the community on the importance of Fair Trade (events: Sustainability Book Club, Fairtrade Month Awareness and giveaway).
