Students from the newly-chartered Fair Trade Brigade have been working with Aramark officials since the beginning of last semester to bring more "fair trade" coffee options to Java City and to make fair trade chocolate and tea available in the convenience store. The fair trade movement seeks to get workers living in the developing world fair payment for their products in the global economy by eliminating middlemen in the exchange between producer and exporter. In a conventional economy, the price to farmers in production exceeds the amount they are paid for the product.

Farmers receive an average of 20 cents per pound of coffee, but under free trade, they receive at least $1.26 per pound because the products are sold directly from the producer to the exporter.

Fair trade products are better for the environment because they are generally organically and shade grown, combating global warming and protecting the natural habitats of animals.

Daniel Mauer '06, a member of the brigade, said he and the group have met with Aramark Food Service Director Richard Rubini several times this year to encourage Aramark to sell fair trade products on campus. Rubini manages Usdan Caf, the Boulevard, the convenience store and Java City.

Currently, Java City offers one variety of fair trade coffee and Aramark subsidizes the coffee's extra cost.

"We want as many fair trade products sold on campus as possible," Mauer said.

According to brigade member Jenny Shapiro '05, "Java City has a policy that it will make any campus 100 percent fair trade if its students request."

Rubini said the company must see that free trade is what the faculty, staff, and students want, though the extra cost would be passed to customers.

Rubini said he is unsure whether the school will support selling all fair trade coffee because not all flavors are available in fair trade varieties, and "it will be a 20 to 25 cent" increase per cup.

He is also unsure whether fair trade coffee will be offered only at Java City or at multiple places on campus.

Shapiro said that in next week's Student Union election, a poll will be conducted to evaluate student opinion on selling fair trade products on campus. The brigade said it is launching a "huge education campaign" this week to show students why they should support the group's cause.

Student Union President Mark Schlangel '05 said the Union will support fair trade advocacy efforts only if the poll shows that students also support the efforts. He said he looks forward to the brigade informing the campus of "what it would mean to bring fair trade to campus" so that everyone can make an informed decision in the upcoming poll.

Rubini said the challenge they face is finding fair trade products through their distributor, United Foods, Inc. The fair trade coffee in Java City is currently distributed through United Food's Eco-Ground line, but Aramark said it has agreed to start selling organic and fair trade tea through United Food's Honest Tea line within the week.

According to Rubini, the convenience store began selling Dagoba Organic Chocolate last week. They are also working with United Foods to purchase fair trade chocolate through the worker-owned company Equal Exchange. However, if Aramark cannot get it through its distributor, he said "we will order directly."

Rubini said the store sold out of the chocolate quickly and is in the process of ordering more.

"Chocolate and tea is a huge start," Mauer said.

The brigade said it does not believe a higher price should be a deterrent to student support and that the benefits far outweigh the cost and variety issue.

"We're not asking people to give up coffee; just to be better to the coffee growers," brigade member Lauren Abramowitz '07 said.

She hopes the education campaign gets across to students that their "little bit of effort makes such a huge difference. Twenty cents more per cup makes huge changes in the lives of people in the global south.