Saint Joseph’s University Earns Fair Trade University Status
BY ISN STAFF | April 22, 2014
Editor’s Note: Loyola Marymount was originally omitted from this post in the listing of current Jesuit universities with Fair Trade University Status.
Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) recently earned recognition as a Fair Trade University, according to the guidelines established by Fair Trade Colleges and Universities. Joining Creighton University and Loyola Marymount University, SJU becomes the third Jesuit university in the U.S. and only the 19th overall to earn the special fair trade status. Administrators, faculty and students have been working collaboratively over the past ten years to increase awareness of the fair trade movement through campus education and by increasing the presence of fair trade products on campus.
Fair Trade USA defines fair trade as an economic system that provides opportunities for international farmers, artisans and workers to lift themselves out of poverty. Fair trade seeks to enable economic development through equitable trading partnerships and assures consumers that the products they purchase were grown, harvested, crafted and traded in ways that improve lives and protect the environment.
SJU earned its final badge when university president Rev. C. Kevin Gillespie, S.J. ’72 and Vice President for Mission E. Springs Steele, Ph.D., endorsed a student government resolution in April 2014.
“This designation directly aligns with the University’s mission and Jesuit heritage,” said Fr. Gillespie in a university statement. “We strive to embody the ideals of engaged citizenship, social justice, and living as men and women for others. These principles are clearly reflected in the tenets of fair trade.”
Learn more about Fair Trade Status and St. Joseph’s accomplishments at Fair Trade Colleges and Universities and the SJU announcement of the new status.
Saint Joseph’s University is a member institution of the Ignatian Solidarity Network.
Congrats to Saint Joseph’s Univesrity!