2006 Conference Workshop AC3

From Hooked - Students for Trade Justice

1 Fair Trade Awards for Universities
- 1.1 Neil's Presentation
- 1.2 Case study: Monash University

[edit] Fair Trade Awards for Universities

Neil Bowker; Belinda Towns, 6\5\6

[edit] Neil's Presentation

…I missed first 10 min of this :( …but: The Slide Show from this lecture will be on fairtrade.com.au (currently being revamped).

Fair Trade Universities Goals
- 1.
- 2. Fair Trade Steering Group
  - contact us whenever you need, not just at the end! We’ll help.
- 3. Increase availability of FT products, at reasonable prices
  - don’t want a FT option at a huge markup.
  - IFAT products (like crafts) can be included as well as FLO (FT) ones
  - if some outlets unable to comply, need to give reason.
  - Or, have progressive %age targets (60% FT by such a time, etc.)
- 4. Use of FT products on campus
  - target %age of administrative units using FT products; minimum 50%
- 5. Commitment to increase consumption on campus over time
  - promotion

Benefits for the Uni
- provides positive publicity!
Costs
- $132 admin fee: become an associate. Membership benefits

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[edit] Case study: Monash University

Belinda Towns, 6\5\6
Belinda can be contacted via belinda.towns *AT* general.monash.edu.au

[edit] Introducing Fair Trade at Uni’s

don’t let them follow it up with you. You have to be the hassler.
we’re not a FT uni, but about 10% (some by weight, some by number) of coffee sales are now FT

[edit] Where can FT be introduced on campus?

Retail outlets
Staff rooms, student areas
Cafés, restaurants, grocery stores
And even: in-house catering
vending machines

[edit] How to introduce it

Independently owned or a franchise? Independent easier.
Contract with supplier giving a machine and a coffee?
Easier with restaurants: make their money through wine and food. More willing to take the risk.
- start with the easy wins (independently-owned restaurant), great example to use later.
when the uni makes the rules (catering) it’s easier
harder if it’s outsourced. They purchase in bulk for everywhere; they’re big on economies of scale. Talk to the central organisation, e.g. “Spotless”. Might own the outlet or the lease of the outlet.
Faculties:
- does someone buy it in bulk and distribute it everywhere? Great!
- or you can trial it in one spot; start with places that have staff who are keen. Get them too to talk to the people.
- most ppl are afraid of the reaction; afraid of complaints; if they change to FT. Any complaints they receive will be the fault of FT. Cold coffee etc. will be blamed on FT. So CONVINCE THEM they’re not going to get lots of complaints about the FT coffee.
- Staff-funded ones are good. Convince the “purchasing officer”.
  - they don’t want any more invoices!
  - it costs about $150 to process an invoice, in time and handling.
  - a hidden cost that the uni is aware of
  - That’s why we’ve gone with Corporate Express; (Boise (boys-ee)is another large office supplier that could be approached). There the ppl who were doing it already; we’re going through the chain already there, no extra administrative cost
- if ppl have plunger coffee…everyone will love the FT! Price the same, very nice coffee.

[edit] Other tips

if people have changed…GOT to support them! Advertise, keep helping the people who are doing it—otherwise they’re not going to stick at it very long.
Monash: we’ve got a group of 200 staff members who do sustainability things; we told them all about FT. They went out, asking for FT in their departments.
- Human Rights lecturers are often keen
advertise the cafés in student paper!
they love case studies: they’re not sticking out their necks too far; it’s not something too scary
don’t overwhelm ppl with everything at once, but ease them into FT.
If they convert, don’t tick them and walk away! Check up on them, see if there’s any teething problems
Use the uni’s own rhetoric
- what declarations have they signed?
  - human rights?
  - environmental? (You can do this, and fulfil such-and-such a requirement)
  - sustainability: energy, etc. e.g. TALLOIRES—Melbourne HAS signed it.
  - no one disagrees with this stuff in principle! What they have an issue with is change. Where they might cop crap, where it might cost them more. No one gets any support for doing anything sustainable.
  - streamline: don’t want to add another level of processing. Talk to them about where it can fit in. May take longer, but it will stay there longer if it’s built-in.
  - START WITH EASY WINS!

[edit] Last word

no one gets rewarded for change with regard to sustainable initiatives! Therefore management usually doesn’t care.
Help create an environment where they’re supported for it.
get rewarded, like you get for teaching (cash, travel allowances…)
get a PUBLIC committment e.g. Dean of a faculty to commit to 15% FT for faculty
- then he/she will follow it up with departments, and staff members who are bringing in the FT will get rewarded!
not upsetting people, but working it into the system
when a department converts (say ground coffee only); congratulate them for being so good, a ‘Fairtrade department’ or something, and “would you like to go all the way…”
Some Vice Chancellors, their home country is not Australia, so talk to them about what’s happening with FT in their home country!
Don’t be afraid to keep reminding Procurement Officers of how much power/influence they have (unis spend a lot of money)! We got Reflex to be more expensive than recycled paper!
Procurement Guide has a all the FT products available
- see www.fairtrade.com.au, resources section, also in the Buy/Sell section.
Staff Newspaper: every time you have a success, have a photo of the most senior person responsible for it in the newspaper. Makes them care about it.