Stockton for Fair Trade: The Campaign

Project Proposal

Rebecca Moya, Cathy Ngo, Franco Franchina, and Melanie Cucunato

Environmental Sustainability (SUST 2100)
Tait Chirenje
Stockton University
Fall 2016

Abstract

In todays world, the term good consumer is thrown around a lot. But what does it
mean? Fair Trade is an organization that tries to spread the awareness of being a good consumer.
When Fair Trade certified products are purchased, the money goes back to the farmers and
workers, and the ensurance that sustainable practices are going into making each product. This
proposal addresses the environmental, social, and economic impact that Stockton choses to
follow when picking their products to sell to the students. Thus, a Fair Trade campaign was
developed. Starting in 2004, this campaign was started, but it fizzled due to lack of support from
the students. Working with Fair Trade USA, the Stockton campaign is currently completing the
five steps it takes to become a Fair Trade University. The first step, to build a team, has been
completed with a full committee team. The second step, to have products at campus outlets,
poses to be the most difficult step. We need a few more products available on campus for this
step to be completed. The third step, sourcing the products at events and meetings, is almost
complete as the catering service provided by Chartwells already uses Fair Trade coffee. The
fourth step, committing to education, has been completed. Each semester, it is required that there
are two educational events. This includes movies, speakers, tabling, and media coverage. The
fifth step, a resolution, is a non-legally binding document that will be signed by President Harvey
Kesselman that will state that Stockton will do everything in its power to upkeep contracts with
vendors who sell Fair Trade certified products as opposed to those who do not. The Stockton
Action Volunteers for the Environment are the ones who will be financing the campaign as well
as executing each of the five steps. Also working with the South Jersey Fair Trade Alliance,
Chartwells, Follett, and the Student Senate, Fair Trade will be something that the students here at
Stockton will become familiar with and will put them on the path of being good consumers in
the future, even after they graduate.

Table of Contents

I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
A.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
VII.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
VIII.
A.
B.
IX.
X.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.

Abstract.....1
Mission Statement.....3
Statement of Need.3
Statement of Interest..3
Project Rationale...4
Action Plan....4
The Five Steps
Build a Team
Reach out to Campus Outlets
Source Fair Trade at Events and Meetings
Commit to Fair Trade Education
Pass Fair Trade Resolution
Detailed Project Description..6
Goal of the Campaign
Finances
Timeline
Resources
Success
Other Examples of Fair Trade Campaigns.8
South Jersey Fair Trade Alliance
Saint Josephs University, PA
References..9
Appendix9
Fair Trade Wix Website
Stockton University Fair Trade Campaign Website
Resolution for President Harvey Kesselman
E-mails between Kylie Nealis and Melanie Cucunato
E-mails between Maryam Sarhan and Melanie Cucunato
E-mail between Trish Krevetski and Melanie Cucunato
Email with St. Josephs University
Survey

Mission Statement
Our mission is to bring awareness of Fair Trade to Stockton Universitys campus. Acting
upon the campaign that has already been started in 2004 and rekindled in 2015, we are trying to
complete what was started with the help of the environmental club, Stockton Action Volunteers

for the Environment (S.A.V.E.) as well as other outlets like Chartwells, Follett, and the Student
Senate.
Statement of Need
Two of the most pressing issues that we, as humans, face are environmental sustainability
and social justice. Fortunately, Fair Trade is a non-profit organization that has combined these
two issues to improve the condition of our planet and the well-being of all of its people. They
work to solve these issues by promoting various products that have a Fair Trade certified label.
Fair Trade Certified products were made with respect to people and planet. Our rigorous social,
environmental, and economic standards work to promote safe, healthy working conditions,
protect the environment, enable transparency, and empower communities to build strong,
thriving businesses. When you choose products with the Fair Trade label, your day-to-day
purchases can improve an entire communitys day-to-day lives, (Fair Trade USA, 2016). Fair
Trades goal is to improve overall environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
Many congregations, schools, towns, and colleges/universities across the country are
working on Fair Trade campaigns. However, Stockton University is not. As New Jerseys Green
University, we feel that it is appropriate for Stockton to follow in other universitys footsteps and
become a Fair Trade University. Since Stockton already sells Fair Trade coffee, the process of
adding a few more products to the list should be simple, as well as being certified in general.
Additionally, if more businesses and universities, like Stockton, become a Fair Trade University,
the bigger of an impact it will have.
Statement of Interest
We conducted an online survey for Stockton students to express their opinions and
awareness of Fair Trade. Overall, 67 students participated in the survey. First, 77.3% of people
surveyed answered, Im not sure when asked, Does Stockton currently sell any Fair Trade
products? Also, 68.2% of people answered, Im not sure when asked, Do you use Fair Trade
products? These results show that more than half of the students surveyed are unaware of Fair
Trades presence on their campus. If this is a reflection of the entire Stockton student population,
then a Fair Trade campaign would be very beneficial. Furthermore, when asked, Do you think
Stockton should become a Fair Trade University, 62.5% of people answered, Im not sure,
37.5% of people answered Yes and 0% answered No. These results show that Stockton
students are not opposed to their school becoming Fair Trade certified. Most of them just arent
informed about Fair Trade. Our job is to familiarize students about Fair Trade and its mission to
ensure its continued success at Stockton University.

Project Rationale
There are many benefits to be derived from Stockton becoming a Fair Trade University.
Multiple groups including the workers who make the products, to the people that distribute them,
and the consumers that purchase it would be impacted positively. Fair Trade products, as defined
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by Fair Trade USA, are ...products made with respect to people and planet. Fair Trade USA
outlines impacts such as the environment, building sustainable businesses, access to education,
and many more on their website. This is a practice that encourages farmers around the world to
follow internationally monitored environmental standards...with financial incentives and
resources for organic conversion, reforestation, water conservation and environmental education
(Fair Trade USA, 2016). From a global and sustainable perspective, becoming a Fair Trade
University is definitely a benefit that Stockton should add to its list of accomplishments. We are
a distinctive university, arent we? Additionally, our university would be promoting the students
and staffs to learn about where products come from and what was done for it to be accessible to
us. By selling more items that are considered of Fair Trade, we become advocators of this
practice. It is important to mention that S.A.V.E. is the club that is leading the campaign for
Stockton1. The project first started back in 2004 with moderate success. They began protesting
the coffee company contracted with Chartwells at the time which was not certified. The club was
able to get Fair Trade coffee sold at Stockton. There has been attempts to advocate for more
certifies products to be offered but unfortunately did not gather enough support. Now, with more
environmentally-conscientious students we hope to finally make Stockton a Fair Trade
University and to have many aspects of the LEGS themes realized.
Action Plan
A. The Five Steps
There are five steps to be completed in order for Stockton to become a Fair Trade University.
First, we have to build a team; people who will be committed to the campaign and who are
passionate about the impact for both farmers and students that Fair Trade presents. Next, we
must reach out to campus outlets. There is already coffee at many outlets on campus, but it is not
enough. We are finding products that would be good additions to the list of products available at
Stockton University. Then, we are to make sure that Fair Trade products are available at events
and meetings that take place at Stockton University. Next, we should show that we are
committed to Fair Trade education on campus, which is one of the main goals of this proposal.
We want to ensure that all students, faculty, and staff are aware of the products on campus as
well as be informed of Fair Trade in general. Finally, we must present a resolution to President of
Stockton University, Harvey Kesselman. All the steps that have been completed can be found on
the Stockton University Campaign website, which can be found in the Appendix.
a. Build a Team: It is required by Fair Trade Campaigns to build a team, there must be a minimum
of four students and at least one non-student. They are responsible for the execution of the five
steps. We have completed this step in March of 2015, therefore we are adding onto the
committee that has already been made. S.A.V.E. members have already been informed of the
committee and so far, three students have been added to the list from the club. As the awareness
of this campaign grows, we hope that more people join the S.A.V.E. club to be a part of the
committee.
1 http://maggiebuford.wixsite.com/stocktonfairtrade/about
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b. Reach out to Campus Outlets: It is required to have at least two Fair Trade products sold in at
least five campus outlets. As previously mentioned, Fair Trade coffee has been added to many
outlets; this includes the catering services, N-wing Student Restaurant, The Beans List, and at
Lakeside C-Store. We also have available a local Brewer from Smithville, Cooks Corner. Table
1 shows the currently available products on campus as well as the proposed products that we
would like to implement onto campus.
Table 1. Products that are currently available and products that are proposed and their
respective locations on campus. Obtaining all these products will ensure that this step is
completed.
Location on Campus

Product #1

Product #2

Catering Services

S&D Coffee & Tea

Pura Vida Create Good Raw Cane Sugar Packets*

N-wing Student Restaurant

Peets Coffee & Tea

Dole Bananas and Pineapples*

The Beans List

Starbucks Coffee

Alter Eco*

Lakeside C-Store

Farmer Brothers

Honestly Phresh Deodorant*

Campus Center Store

Alta Gracia*

Custom Bracelets, Global Goods Partners*

F-wing Bookstore

Surya Brasil Lip Balm*

Gallant International 100% cotton Totes*

*proposed product

c. Source Fair Trade at Events and Meetings: Another requirement is to have Fair Trade
products sourced in offices and at events through catering. Because Chartwells here at Stockton
uses S&D Coffee & Tea, most events that happen, whether they are student club events, schoolsponsored events, or meetings, when Chartwells Catering Services is requested, each event is
sourcing Fair Trade coffee. Now, wouldnt it be nice if we could add sugar to that list as well?
For this step, we plan to have the clubs here at Stockton to tell S.A.V.E. when they use
Chartwells Catering for their events or meetings. Also, we would like Fair Trade coffee to be
available in rooms like the Graduate Lounge in the Campus Center. For the Fall semester,
annually, the Fair Trade Gift Fair is a perfect fit for this step. In addition to Fair Trade coffee
being there, there is also a copious amount of Fair Trade vendors who sell their artisan goods.
d. Commit to Fair Trade Education: This step has a requirement for each semester. Each
semester must have two educational events promoting Fair Trade. This includes tabling,
movie/guest speaker events, and media coverage. When we took over the campaign, there was
already one done. When going through old Argo articles, it was found that an article about Fair
Trade at Stockton was completed in 2015, so that was also added. Table 2 shows the planned
semester activities that will take place from here on, additional events could be added.

Table 2. The planned educational activities for the fall and spring semesters of each year.
Following this table will ensure the step is complete.
Semester

Activity #1

Activity #2

Fall

Movie

Fair Trade Finals Tabling

Spring

Guest Speaker

Fair Trade Finals Tabling

Ongoing Activity for

Both Semesters
Argo publications,
keeping up-to-date with
everything Fair Trade.

e. Pass Fair Trade Resolution: The resolution is a non-legally binding document stating that
Stockton University will do everything in its power to uphold its Fair Trade University status by
seeking contracts with vendors who are sustainably up keeping their business, who are
conscientious about environmental impact, conservation of lands and wildlife, and give back to
communities. The resolution can be seen in the Appendix.
Detailed Project Description
A. Goal of the Campaign
The main goal of our proposal is to have Stockton partake in the betterment of farmers
and sustainable agriculture around the world by becoming Fair Trade certified. There are several
criterias for a university to meet to have to the certification. The Fair Trade Campaign outlines
them on their website in clear detail2. One important requirement is to reach out to campus
outlets. This involves the negotiation for the campus to work with vendors and food service
providers to offer their Fair Trade products. Our university currently sells certified coffee but we
need a few more items to meet the criteria. There is a plethora of goods that are labeled as Fair
Trade that Stockton can offer. Fair Trade USA has a list of products and partners to choose from
on their website3. Some products include tea, sugar, honey, fruits and vegetables, beans and
grains, body care, apparel and home goods and sport balls. The S.A.V.E. club has already
completed the educational requirement which was to sponsor Fair Trade educational events and
activities on campus and work with faculty to bring Fair Trade into the classroom (Fair Trade
USA, 2016). Through our proposal, Stockton University will have a positive impact not only our
community but on the world.
B. Finances
As far as financing the campaign, S.A.V.E. will be taking care of that. Of their $14,000 dollar
budget each year, which could increase or decrease at the discretion of the Student Senate, they
are setting aside $5,000 a year for Fair Trade activities. This includes food for events, print shop
money for flyers, screening rights for movies, and compensation for speakers.
As for the products being sold on campus, this is at the discretion of the campus and what
their contracts say for Chartwells and Follett. Most of the time, the campus would end up paying
more money for Fair Trade products, but that extra $0.50 for coffee goes towards ensuring the
families of the farmers are living a worthy day-to-day life.
2 http://fairtradecampaigns.org/campaign/richard-stockton-college/.
3 https://fairtradeusa.org/products-partners
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C. Timeline
Because getting products on campus is a bit tricky, it is estimated that the campaign (all
five steps) will be completed by the end of Fall semester 2017. It is wanted that the first four
steps of the campaign be complete before sending the resolution to President Harvey Kesselman.
Trish Krevetski is retiring the week of November 15, 2016, thus leaving her position open for a
new person. The position has not been filled yet, therefore it is hard to tell when there will be
someone like her to work with and who we will be working with after she retires, which hinders
the productivity of the project. Additionally, we reached out to St. Josephs Universitys
campaign to get an idea of their timeline. They said it took about 18 months to finalize the entire
campaign. This e-mail can be seen in the appendix.
D. Resources
The resources that will be utilized for the campaign are S.A.V.E, South Jersey Fair Trade
Alliance, Fair Trade USA Campaigns, Chartwells, Follett, and the Student Senate. First, S.A.V.E.
is providing the financial means of the project, they execute each of the events, and they are the
representatives for the entire campaign. The South Jersey Fair Trade Alliance is a resource as
they have a plethora of vendors who work with them in events and it is a good networking tool
for the Stockton Campaign. Through Fair Trade USA Campaigns, we are keeping track of or
overall progress. They also are providing us with educational tools that we can use to inform the
students of Fair Trade. Chartwells and Follett will obviously be resources as they are the main
people who we should deal with when it comes to getting products on campus and advertising to
students and families of students. Lastly, we chose to work with the Student Senate because we
felt it was important to get the future policy-makers of the United States involved. Also, we
thought that going through the Senate to get the resolution to President Kesselman was an easier
goal as opposed to just us approaching him. E-mails among the important people who we are
working with can be found in the appendix.

E. Success
The success of our project will be measured through survey results and a certification.
First, we created a baseline survey intended for Stockton University students that will tell us how
much they know about Fair Trade right now. Our results showed that on about 33% of the
population who participated in the survey could define Fair Trade. After our Fair Trade
certification campaign, more students will have been exposed to and educated about Fair Trade
much more and should be more informed about it. We will compare the results from these
surveys to determine how successful we have been with our campaign. Also, we will be able to
directly measure the success of our project if we follow all of the required steps and become a
Fair Trade University.
Other Examples of Fair Trade Campaigns
A. South Jersey Fair Trade Alliance
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Galloway, NJ is considered a Fair Trade Town. This means that a committee has been
made that tries to have local businesses provide Fair Trade products in their stores and they
commit to educating the community about being a good consumer (South Jersey Fair trade
Alliance, 2016). The South Jersey Fair Trade Alliance is a committee that S.A.V.E. works with
to host their annual Fair Trade Gift Fair at Stockton University. Inviting lots of Fair Trade
certified vendors, it is a day for people to come to Stockton and do some shopping, but also with
the education that Fair Trade is an important thing to think about when not at the gift fair.
B. Saint Josephs University, PA
St. Josephs University is an example of a completed campaign as all five of their steps
has been completed. They have a school that was informed about Fair Trade and put all efforts
into obtaining the Fair Trade University status (Saint Josephs University, 2014). This is an
example that all five steps can be completed and that universities can make a difference in the
fight for Fair Trade.

References
Fair Trade USA. (2016). Retrieved November 16, 2016, from http://fairtradeusa.org/what-is-fairtrade
Fair Trade USA. (2016). Retrieved November 16, 2016, from
https://fairtradeusa.org/products-partners

Saint Josephs University. (2014). Retrieved November 21, 2016, from

http://fairtradecampaigns.org/campaign/saint-josephs-university/
South Jersey Fair Trade Alliance. (2016). Retrieved November 21, 2016, from
https://southjerseyfairtrade.wordpress.com/

Appendix
A. Fair Trade Wix Website
Fair Trade Website for Stockton
B. Stockton University Fair Trade Campaign Website
Stockton Fair Trade Campaign

C. Resolution for President Harvey Kesselman

Stockton University
Fair Trade Resolution
WHEREAS

What we choose to purchase, eat, and drink impacts farmers, workers, artisans and the environment;

Growers of coffee, tea, chocolate and other products produced in Latin America, Africa, and Asia are
often paid less than a living wage, and forced child labor may be involved;

Conventional means of growing coffee and other commodities are often damaging to the environment,
harming local ecosystems;

Fair Trade ensures fair wages, safe working conditions, and environmental sustainability, and prohibits
forced labor of any kind;

Many campus groups around the country and the world already support Fair Trade;

Stockton University has endorsed the Earth Charter (or Millennium Development Goals, or other
statement of principles), and supporting Fair Trade is an effective way to put into practice the principles of social
justice and environmental sustainability;

By becoming a Fair Trade College/University, Stockton University will demonstrate a commitment to

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sustainability;

By becoming a Fair Trade College/University, Stockton University will more effectively educate the
campus community about Fair Trade;

By becoming a Fair Trade College/University, Stockton University will inspire other institutions and
organizations to support Fair Trade.

By becoming a Fair Trade College/University, Stockton University will enhance its image as a leader in
sustainability and social justice issues;
BE IT RESOLVED:
That Stockton University should dedicate itself to be a Fair Trade College/University, which would consist of the
following:
1. Dining facilities: The college/university will work with its food service contractor to make Fair Trade coffee,
tea, chocolate, and other Fair Trade products available in its dining facilities, consistent with the terms of food
service contracts and where the resulting costs do not significantly jeopardize board rate costs.
2. Catered events: The college/university will work with its food service contractor to make Fair Trade products
available at catered meetings hosted by the school, consistent with the terms of the food service contract.
3. Offices: The college/university will work with its food service contractor and/or office supplier to make Fair
Trade products available for administrative and faculty offices whenever possible and consistent with the terms of
existing contracts.
4. Stores: The college/university will include Fair Trade food products, apparel and handicrafts (such as
jewelry, and other gift items) in campus stores whenever possible and subject to the terms of vendor contracts.
5. Education: The college/university will support students, staff, and faculty working to increase on-campus
awareness of Fair Trade through events, the incorporation of Fair Trade into curricula, and other efforts.
6. Procurement: The college/university commits itself to exploring the incorporation of Fair Trade procurement
into current purchasing practices and policies. This process will begin within six months after the ratification of
this document.
7. Acknowledgment: The college/university will identify and promote Fair Trade products at campus functions
and stores with appropriate signage or information.
8. Implementation: The college/university, in consultation with the student-run club, Student Action Volunteers
for the Environment (S.A.V.E.) will oversee the implementation of the above commitments.

______________
Name
Title
(College / University President)

_________
Date

D. E-mails between Kylie Nealis and Melanie Cucunato

11

12

E. E-mails between Maryam Sarhan and Melanie Cucunato

13

F. E-mails between Trish Krevetski and Melanie Cucunato

G. E-mail with St. Josephs University

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H. Survey
We deployed a survey to assess Stockton students knowledge on Fair Trade products (A
copy of the survey can be found here). The respondent group consisted primarily of our friends,
the Stockton University Field Hockey team, and the Stockton University Class of 2020. The
results showed that majority of students were unsure and uneducated about Fair Trade. Results
are outlined in figures 2 and 3 below.

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Figure 2: Majority of Stockton students expressed that they were unsure about whether or not
Stockton carried, or they, as consumers, use any Fair Trade products.

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Figure 3: Fifty percent of stockton students (as seen in question 4) were aware of S.A.V.E, yet
less than a quarter of them knew what a Fair Trade product was. Approximately 38% of survey
respondents think Stockton should become a Fair Trade certified school; whereas the other 62%
were unsure.

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