| Dining Services Switches to Fair Trade, Organic Coffee
In response to student suggestions, Rensselaer Dining Services, run by Sodexho Campus Services, has begun serving “Fair Trade,” certified organic shade-grown coffee in the dining halls and coffee carts on campus. The move is part of Sodexho’s commitment to introduce socially and environmentally sensitive food to the campus community in keeping with their adoption of the Global Sullivan Principles. (See Campus.News article )
The change was suggested by students in the spring 2002 Environment and Society course taught by Steve Breyman. The coffee was first introduced at the Beanery at Sage Labs and has proved to be a popular selling item, according to John Fusco, general manager of Rensselaer’s dining services.
Marija Kuzmanovic ’05, who majors in science, technology, and society, was one of the students who suggested the change. “What fascinates me about ‘Fair Trade’ is that it is an entirely incentive-based concept that works for both consumers in developed countries and producers in the developing countries. The idea behind this model is that people can use their purchasing power to make a difference for the poor and as a result they get a quality product as well as the satisfaction of being a conscientious consumer. I also think that understanding the ‘Fair Trade’ model is important to anyone who aspires to be a true global citizen, and I am sure most of the students at RPI do.”
“Fair Trade” coffee is made from beans purchased directly from cooperatives of small farmers and at a guaranteed minimum, fair price. Certified organic coffee ensures the coffee is grown in soil devoid of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which can degrade soil quality and water resources over time. The “shade-grown” designation guarantees the coffee plants are grown interspersed with other plants to preserve vanishing wildlife and preventing erosion by employing composting and terracing.
Rensselaer’s Dining Services offers Green Mountain Coffee Roasters at its campus locations. The Rensselaer Union features Starbucks, which also serves Fair Trade coffee. According to Fusco, Green Mountain Roasters was ranked 8th overall on Business Ethics Magazine’s 2003 list of the “100 Best Corporate Citizens.”
|
