Stephanie Williams

Marx/English 145

June 5, 2007

The Need for a Fair Trade Curriculum at Cal Poly

Fair Trade is a sustainable movement and set of business initiatives that provide individuals with a new approach to international trade. Fair Trade “aims to move disadvantaged producers out of poverty, by providing them with a fair return for their work and decent working and living conditions” (Barrientos, 7). Over the years this movement has been growing rapidly in the United Kingdom and Switzerland, and is now inspiring businesses and organizations across the United States to get involved. Cal Poly has been a strong advocate for sustainability over the years and has incorporated sustainable classes into the curriculum of some majors. However, this progressive institution has not integrated fair trade into its environmentally friendly program. Incorporating Fair Trade into the Orfalea College of Business’ curriculum at Cal Poly will allow students to learn about the benefits fair trade has on the environment and the business world by taking classes and participating in projects aimed at assisting farmers in undeveloped countries.

Ever since Fair Trade began in North America and Europe in the late 1940’s as a church project, a number of organizations have mushroomed all over the world with similar goals. Foundations have been created such as the TransFair Organization founded in 1998, the Alternative Trade Organization (1950’s), and the Fairtrade Labelling Organization International (1997): an umbrella organization for the growing number of labelling companies (Barrientos, 36). Each of these organizations were formed with a goal in mind to help farmers sell their produce to consumers who are willing to purchase ‘fair trade’ products, so that farmers profit from their own goods. Fair Trade organizations help farmers develop business skills, improve farming techniques, and eliminating third parties.

Fair Trade organizations work with farmers to raise profits by eliminating the “middle man” and enhancing farming techniques. Assisting producers in selling their crops rather than taking the produce from the farmers and then selling it generates greater profit margins for farmers. According to the book Ethical Sourcing in the Global Food System, in 2004 “sales from labelled fair trade products generated an additional $100 million for producers and workers in undeveloped countries” (Barrientos, 7). The profits from these long- term relationships allow farmers to give back to their community and send local kids to college for the first time, a dream that seems inconceivable for many children in these areas. Some of the profits gained could also be used to invest in innovative technology for sustainable farming techniques which consist of organic farming and shade growing: products grown under natural shade and indirect sunlight in order to preserve the local ecosystems (“Sustainability is Good for Coffee”). Up-to-date technologies give farmers the opportunity to get paid premiums for their organic produce while preserving the environment in emergent countries.

Fair Trade however does present some drawbacks for international trade markets and consumers. For example, Fair Trade products tend to cost more than mass-produced, low-quality goods. The most expensive fair trade product is bananas, which demand higher costs because cooperatives lack the extensive shipping methods needed to transport the bananas to other countries. Another disadvantage presented by Fair Trade is that it is only for cooperative small-scale farmers and not plantations and estates. The reason for this is that many fear that the plantations and estates would compete unfairly just when small-scale farmers are beginning to develop the capacity to become competitive participants in the international trade market (Barrientos 175). Despite these drawbacks countries continue to get involve and support the Fair Trade movement.

The United States is just one of many countries showing their support for Fair Trade. Certified Fair Trade products are available in over 35,000 retailers across the United Stated and include coffee, tea and herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice, and spices (Fair Trade Coffee). Fair Trade certified coffee is now the fastest growing section of the US coffee market.

An enormous amount of support for Fair Trade products is flooding colleges nationwide. California Polytechnic State University is getting involved in sustainability and Fair Trade with its Fair Trade Club. The Fair Trade Club on campus enables Cal Poly students and the local community to make conscientious and positive-impacting consumer choices when purchasing everyday items (Cal Poly’s Fair Trade Club). Since the club began in January 2005 as a senior project by Melissa Schilling, it has been involved in activities to gain recognition for Fair Trade. Holiday gift packs, T-shirts, and products such as coffee and chocolate have been sold on campus. The Fair Trade club has also organized fund raisers and participated in Fair Trade awareness month (October) (Chartrand).

Despite the clubs involvement, Cal Poly’s Fair Trade Club “hits a wall” when it comes to reaching the attention of fellow students and faculty. In order to rally support for more Fair Trade products on campus, more effort and activities are needed by the Club. Other colleges around the United State have developed a number of ways to help the Fair Trade movement. One college, Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire has replaced all the bananas on campus with Fair Trade bananas for an extra cost of ten cents each banana. One Fair Trade member at Dartmouth, Jonathan Merten, supports the extra cost increase and believes “the benefits far outweigh the costs” (On Your Campus). The University of California, San Diego has also taken the initiative of getting Fair Trade products on campus. In 2007, UCSD convinced the University Center Advisory Board to create a new café that would offer at least one Fair Trade drip coffee, espresso, chocolate, and tea options (On Your Campus). All of the efforts by these colleges are headed by students and Fair Trade Clubs. Cal Poly’s Fair Trade Club can be just as proactive in receiving support for Fair Trade on campus with the assistance of the Orfalea College of Business.

Currently the Orfalea College of Business offers two classes (Bus 412: Advanced Managerial Accounting and Bus 346: Principles of Marketing) and one major that is considered sustainable. By enhancing the OCOB’s curriculum and adding classes focusing on Fair Trade, students and faculty will have the information available to obtain Fair Trade products at Cal Poly. With the existence of Fair Trade classes students would learn its six principles; fair price, fair labor conditions, direct trade, democratic and transparent organizations, communities development, and environmental sustainability. Applying these principles and the strategies taught in marketing/ advertising classes to businesses would help create the recognition that the Fair Trade Club is missing.

The new sustainable curriculum will inspire class and senior projects for students and faculty interested in international trade and the welfare of others. The Business Department can implement the “learn by doing” motto at Cal Poly and create or enhance a business on campus. Creating coffee cups for Julian’s, for example, with Fair Trade facts printed on the outside of the cups would create awareness for Fair Trade as well as practice marketing strategies students learned in their classes. Students interested in international trade could ‘adopt’ a farm in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. Resembling Starbucks Coffee Company’s mission, the biggest purchaser of Fair Trade in North America, students would work with farmers from their ‘adopted’ farm and help sell their Fair Trade Certified coffee or chocolates (Starbucks and Fair Trade). In doing this, students would create long term contracts with the farmers, establish affordable credit for producers and explore international trade relations. Not only does this benefit the students, but farmers benefit immensely from the direct purchasing. Both the producers and students would be able to work together and invest in social projects in the coffee communities, such as building new hospitals and schools.

While researching the Orfalea College of Business’ involvement in Fair Trade, I spoke with Tom Neuhaus, Fair Trade Advisor and Professor in Food Science and Nutrition, to formulate some ideas for possible senior projects. Professor Neuhaus’ passion for Fair Trade had sparked some wonderful ideas about how the business department could get involvement in Fair Trade. Neuhaus has connections with four Fair Trade Certified cooperatives in West Africa and would love to work with a group of passionate, dedicated students to sell Fair Trade products to the university food services. In order to do this, containers of cocoa beans from a cooperative would need to be imported to the United States. With the cocoa beans, Neuhaus wishes to design two

chocolates: chocolate liquor for brownies and chocolate chips for cookies. A team of business students would need to put together a marketing strategy, distribute samples of the chocolate to food service managers, and get purchasing commitments. A merchandising campaign would have to be designed as well as a media campaign to promote the chocolate products and Fair Trade (Neuhaus). Tom Neuhaus has some great ideas that can be implemented with the help of students, faculty, and the University.

A program could be put together using the ideas of Tom Neuhaus and other Fair Trade advocates in which students are able to learn the direct benefits Fair Trade has to offer. Enriching the business curriculum with Fair Trade will continue to put Cal Poly on the map as a progressive institution and will help improve the lives of over one million farmers, farm workers and families in fifty-eight countries (Frequently Asked Questions- Basic). The recognition for Cal Poly’s support for this viable movement will lure more students and parents to the college and will spark the interest and participation of other Universities and businesses.

Work Cited

Barrientos, Stephanie, and Catherine Dolan. Ethical Sourcing in the Global Food System.

Sterling, VA: Earthscan, 2006.

"Cal Poly Fair Trade Club." Blogger.com. Cal Poly. 20 May 2007

http://www.polyfairtradeclub.blogspot.com

Chartrand, Ryan. "Club Offers Fair Trade Solutions to Holiday Shoppers." Mustang

Daily. 28 Nov 2005. 5 Jun 2007 http://www.mustangdaily.net

"Fair Trade Coffee." Fair Trade. 10 Apr 2007. Global Exchange. 5 Jun 2007

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/

"Frequently Asked Questions-Basic." Fair Trade Certified. 02 May 2007 Transfair USA.

20 May 2007 http://www.transfairusa.org/content/resources/faq.php

Neuhaus, Tom. E-mail interview. 17-20 May 2007

"On Your Campus." Fair Trade Certified. 15 May 2007. Transfair USA. 23 May 2007

http://www.transfairusa.org/content/sipport/campus.php

"Starbucks, Fair Trade, and Coffee Social Responsibility." 07 Mar 2006. Starbucks

Coffee. 26 May 2007

http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/starbucksandfairtrade.pdf

"Sustainability is Good for Coffee." Rare Coffee.com. 5 Jun 2007

http://www.rarecoffee.com/school/Sustainablility.asp