News Article

Fair-trade coffee is now sold in Gonzaga University’s Crosby Student Center – a move that exemplifies students’ interest in social justice.

Crosby Café has switched to fair-trade certified Craven’s Roasters coffee. The change came as the result of a series of conversations between members of the GU students’ JUSTICE Club and management at Sodexho Campus Services, the school’s dining service provider.

The JUSTICE Club, which stands for Jesuit University and College Students Concerned with Empowerment, took on the project after learning about a crash in the coffee market in 2001 and the ensuing rise of fair-trade coffee.

Fair trade ensures that farmers are paid at least $1.26 per pound, or $1.41 for organic coffee, such as that sold at Crosby. Fair-trade certified coffee not only ensures that workers are paid fairly but promises that the communities own the land that is harvested, which gives them a greater chance to invest in civic projects, such as the construction of roads and schools. These cooperatives (or self-managed communities) also gain access to credit under this system, allowing them to match their expenses with seasonal variations.

Last semester, a group of GU students participated in a three-hour taste test with sales representatives from various coffee distributors. Students chose Craven’s, a Spokane-based roaster, for its full-bodied flavor. They also were impressed that the owner was present and could trace all of his coffees to specific regions in the countries of origin. Having traveled throughout Mexico and Central America, he brought a global flair to Gonzaga’s front door.

Students and dining service management alike are pleased to be part of the Fair Trade Movement, a global phenomenon that has tripled its purchases the past three years.

The JUSTICE Club is dedicated to foster leadership through communication, cooperation, education, and service in the Ignatian tradition.

For more information, contact student Simon Zachary by e-mail at szachary@gonzaga.edu