York University’s annual fair trade fair will take place Wednesday, Feb. 24 in the Bear Pit near Central Square from 10am to 4pm. The fair will feature a range of fair trade products including arts and crafts, coffee and tea, chocolate, t-shirts and more. In addition to fair trade products, the event also serves as a forum for students, faculty, and staff to learn more about fair trade and fair trade initiatives at York University.
What is fair trade?
Simply put, fair trade is about ensuring that producers, typically from developing countries, receive a fair price for their products. But Fair Trade is also about information. Fair Trade Canada describes it as a “way for all of us to identify products that meet our values so we can make choices that have a positive impact on the world.”
In recent years, York has developed a number of fair trade initiatives. For instance, York has its own brand of fair trade certified coffee, Las Nubes, which is grown in the Las Nubes rainforest in Costa Rica (of which York is a part owner). Also, in 2011 York became the first university in Canada to sell certified, fair trade clothing in its campus bookstore.
To learn more about fair trade at York and other sustainability initiatives, visit the Sustainability website or send an e-mail to sustainability@yorku.ca.