Public event puts focus on Fair Trade Fortnight

Wednesday, 13 May 2015

Fair Trade Fortnight will be celebrated at the University of Adelaide with a Mad Hatter's Fair Trade Tea Party on Wednesday 20 May.

The free public event will offer tastings from a wide range of Fairtrade Certified tea, as well as other products, such as chocolate, that have been ethically sourced from Fair Trade farmers around the world.

The University of Adelaide became the first university in the State to achieve Fair Trade status from the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand, in 2012. Since then, the use of Fair Trade products has been promoted through events and activities, via the sale of such products at retail outlets on campus, and by encouraging staff to purchase Fair Trade products for workplace kitchenettes.

There are currently more than 80 Fairtrade Certified products available for University of Adelaide staff and students to purchase.

"Our involvement in the Fair Trade movement is part of the University's broader commitment to sustainability, helping to foster an ethically responsible, globally minded and sustainable culture on campus," says the University's Chief Operating Officer & Vice-President, Services and Resources, Bruce Lines.

"Much of the activity on campus is driven by the student-run Fair Trade Collective, which has worked enthusiastically to spread the word about the benefits of Fair Trade.

"This has culminated in the University of Adelaide and Flinders University being jointly awarded the opportunity to host the Fairly Educated Conference in July, which is a testament to their hard work."

The President of the Fair Trade Collective, University of Adelaide student Jason Tran, says: "The Fair Trade movement works with small-scale farmers and suppliers in developing countries, providing fairer prices, better terms of trade and additional funds for development opportunities.

"Making Fair Trade products a part of our everyday shopping is a simple but meaningful way for our community to help reduce poverty in developing countries.

"We are committed to raising awareness of and generating an appetite for Fair Trade and other ethically sourced products among both students and staff, and in the wider community," he says.

The Mad Hatter's Fair Trade Tea Party will be held from 11.00am-3.00pm Wednesday 20 May on the Goodman Lawns, North Terrace campus, University of Adelaide.

For more information about the Fair Trade Collective at the University of Adelaide, visit the Collective's Facebook page or the Adelaide University Union Clubs page.

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