Celebrating two star Fairtrade status!

We are delighted that the University of Leeds has again achieved a Fairtrade University award, after being audited for the academic years 2020/21 and 2021/22.

The University has maintained its Fairtrade University status since 2005. This helped Yorkshire to be named the first Fairtrade region in the country.

At Great Food at Leeds, we are passionate about Fairtrade and have been responsibly sourcing and selling Fairtrade food and drink products in our outlets since 2003!

What is the award and why is it important?

This prestigious award is delivered as a partnership between the Fairtrade Foundation, the National Union of Students, and Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK). The Fairtrade University and College Award requires students to engage in partnerships with their institution and students’ union to achieve the award.

University of Leeds have been awarded Fairtrade University two star status. The award recognises a broad range of activities undertaken in the University which work towards a more just, equal and sustainable world for all.

This includes working to raise awareness with students of the issues related to ethical and sustainable consumption and increasing the availability of Fairtrade products in outlets on campus.

Students were recruited as volunteer auditors to determine if Fairtrade status could be awarded. The students were given training, equipping them with transferrable skills and experience in conducting an audit.

The award is a testament to the collaborative efforts of staff and students from a plethora of services and schools across the University. They have worked together to meet the award criteria, in areas including procurement, awareness raising and campaigning activities.

What is Fairtrade and how can you get involved?

Fairtrade aims to tackle the injustices of conventional trade and ensure that their farmers have decent working conditions and prices for the crops they grow.

To find out more about Fairtrade, what Great Food at Leeds did to support Fairtrade Fortnight earlier this year and how you can get involved, check out our round up post from Fairtrade Fortnight 2022.