Landmark College Receives Fair Trade Designation
Landmark College announced it has been officially designated a Fair Trade College, joining a national initiative by Fair Trade Campaigns to engage students in issues related to global poverty.
The Putney, Vermont liberal arts college that exclusively serves students with learning differences becomes the third college in Vermont to receive fair trade status, joining Green Mountain College and Saint Michael’s College. Nationwide, the Fair Trade Campaigns organization has enlisted nearly 300 schools and communities to its cause of educating students about the issues of fair trade and sourcing fair trade products.
“This recognition will bring more awareness to how fair trade can help businesses and give back to the community. It can also help attract more students and donations from their families as they learn what it means for Landmark College to be a Fair Trade college,” says Victor Tomelden, president of the Landmark College Student Government Association. Tomelden also credited his fellow SGA members and the Landmark Entrepreneurial Accelerator Project (LEAP) for their efforts to garner the Fair Trade College designation.
Fair trade is an economic system that ensures consumers the products they buy were grown, harvested, crafted, and traded in ways that improve lives and protect the environment. Fair Trade Campaigns officially recognizes schools in the U.S. committed to educating students about the issues of fair trade and sourcing fair trade products - like coffee, tea, and bananas - in the cafeteria, offices, and at events.
To receive the Fair Trade College designation, students worked with Landmark College’s food service provider, Chartwell’s, the College’s bookstore, and other campus offices to increase the availability of fair trade products. The students are also committed to holding events that will raise awareness about the issue of fair trade.
With over 170 Fair Trade Colleges/Universities in the United Kingdom alone, the U.S. program grew out of work in Europe and the increasing demand for fair trade and ethically produced products to be incorporated into institutional purchasing. Fair Trade Campaigns sees the tremendous impact institutional purchasing in the U.S. can have on farmers and artisans worldwide.
“There are few things more exciting than seeing today’s youth come to understand the role that they can play as consumers in making the world a more fair and just place. To see them become not just conscious consumers, but advocates for fair trade, should challenge all of us to do the same,” says Billy Linstead Goldsmith, director of Fair Trade Campaigns.
For more information, visit the Landmark College page on the Fair Trade Campaigns web site: https://fairtradecampaigns.org/campaign/landmark-college.