This month the University of Gloucestershire and Students\u2019 Union have been accredited to the new Fairtrade University award. We gained an extra one-star bonus, recognising our significant efforts to embed policies that ensure trade justice and ethical procurement and consumption are considered throughout our practices.<\/p>\n
This achievement marks the 17th year for which the University has held Fairtrade status as part of its sustainability commitments, with the new accreditation valid until 2024.<\/p>\n
The extensive audit process is part of a new framework carried out jointly by Fairtrade Foundation and Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK), the charity that drives sustainability change across the education sector. The audit approach gives University students the chance to gain professional auditor experience and the audit was delivered by three of our students: Ethan Forrest from Gloucestershire Business School, and Becky Hales and Bee Ray-Smallcalder both from the School of Natural and Social Sciences.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/sustainability.glos.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/University-Award_1-Star.png” title_text=”University-Award_1-Star” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_testimonial author=”Ethan Forrest, Bee Ray-Smallcalder and Becky Hales” job_title=”Student auditors” company_name=”University of Gloucestershire” _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]
Students are really valuing the importance of ethical purchasing at the University of Gloucestershire, and it is apparent that student team members are interested and engaged with the Fairtrade award. We can see that staff are eager to gauge student interest and upper management are actively interested and eager to keep up the Fairtrade award.<\/p>[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]
The pandemic has had significant impacts on the organisations in the Fairtrade partnership in ways that can affect Fairtrade practices, particularly pressures on catering services. Despite this, overall sales volumes of Fairtrade items between September 2021-March 2022 compared to the previous period have gone up, including a 26% increase in Fairtrade coffee sales.<\/p>\n