Fairtrade Policy
The Union Notes
- Fairtrade ensures better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.
- The Scottish Government has ambitions for Scotland to become a fair-trade nation. Some of the measurable criteria for them to achieve include:
- To increase awareness of Fair Trade and surrounding issues
- To increase the sale of Fair Trade products
- To contribute to greater trade justice
- To engender a meaningful commitment to Fairtrade from Parliament and executive bodies
- The Union and the University has Fairtrade accreditation by the Fairtrade Foundation.
- That a summary of this Fairtrade criteria are:
- The Union and the University both create a Fairtrade policy.
- Fairtrade products are made available in all campus shops, cafes, restaurants and bars.
- Fairtrade foods are served in all meetings hosted by the University and the Union management.
- There is a commitment to campaign for increased Fairtrade consumption across campus through promotional events activities and materials.
- To set up a Fairtrade steering group, including representatives of the University, the Union and a relevant student society representative.
The Union Believes
- Fairtrade should be supported in order to enhance the standing and reputation of Heriot-Watt University, highlight unjust international trade rules and to provide a practical alternative to farmers in the global south.
- By being a Fairtrade institution and fulfilling the ‘five goals’ set out by the Fairtrade Foundation we contribute to helping global communities in the south work their out of poverty.
- It is the responsibility of the Union to increase the awareness of Fairtrade products in and beyond the Union.
The Union Resolves
- To uphold the five goals set out by the Fairtrade Foundation in order to maintain our Fairtrade University Status.
- To work with the University to ensure that it fulfils its commitments to meeting the five goals set out by the Fairtrade foundation.
- To support representatives from the Union to sit on and work with the University Fairtrade Steering Group.
- To actively campaign for increased Fairtrade consumption across campus through promotional events activities and materials.