Fairtrade At UK Universities

EDM number 1830 in 2002-03, proposed by John Barrett on 28/10/2003.

That this House welcomes the ongoing campaigns of student organisations led by People and Planet groups across the United Kingdom to get Fairtrade accreditation for their university from the Fairtrade Foundation; urges universities and students' associations to respond positively to these campaigns by meeting the five goals set up by the Fairtrade Foundation, including requirements to stock and promote Fairtrade goods at university shops and outlets, serve Fairtrade products at university and student union meetings and establish a written policy and steering group on setting and meeting Fairtrade targets; believes that such campaigns play an important part in raising the awareness of current unfair trade rules which force millions of people in developing countries into poverty, demonstrate the pressing need for Trade Justice, and play a practical role in increasing the sale of products which benefit the world's poorest nations; congratulates the strong campaign of the Edinburgh University People and Planet Group to emulate Oxford Brookes in getting Fairtrade accreditation at Edinburgh University; urges students and the university to support this; and encourages United Kingdom universities to become officially accredited Fairtrade universities.

This motion has been signed by a total of 78 MPs.