United Students for Fair Trade

history

Interested in what USFT has been up to over the last several years?

Here's our history!

1995- Equal Exchange begins taking students on delegations to El Salvador
2001- Oxfam receives grant from Ford Foundation for “Promoting Ethical Consumer Choice in the United States. Three of the four objectives are directed at student organizing through CHANGE initiative and Student coffee organizer trainings. Through the grant Oxfam achieves the following:
- 269 students trained from 225 campuses from 2001-2003 through the CHANGE initiative and student coffee organizer trainings
- 2001- 2002, 67 students from 48 campuses given Fair Trade Coffee organizer trainings in New York, Washington DC and Chicago
- 2001: Introduction of CHANGE initiative for student organizing
- 2002: Harvard Fair Trade Initiative, UCLA Fair Trade Initiative
- 2002: Fair Trade is introduced as issue in the CHANGE trainings and becomes most popular issue.
- Summer 2002: half of CHANGE participants choose to organize Fair Trade campaigns on their campuses
- A Georgetown participant and GW participant receive grants to start Student Fair Trade organization.
- Summer 2003: ALL participants in CHANGE initiative choose to organize for Fair Trade on their campuses.
- 2002-2003: 71 Students from 47 campuses trained in New Orleans and Seattle. Seattle training includes students from US and Canada as well as representatives from Manos Campesinos, Equal Exchange, The Songbird Foundation, SeattleÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Best, Pura Vida and Starbucks. This engages students in the industry dialogue and presents the possibility of a student organization in the NGO coalition for Fair Trade.
- March 2, 2003: Official launch of United Students for Fair Trade at Oxfam student coffee organizer training in Seattle.
USFT meetings with Starbucks in Seattle during coffee training
April 2003: Benefit concert for Songbird Foundation- Students play key role as volunteers
May 2003: USFT participates at SCAA in Boston and launch a “thank you" campaign to the over 200 coffee companies using FT certified coffee at the time.
June 2003: USFT sends representatives to WTO meetings in Cancun
August 2003: Beginning of discussions about possible USFT conference
Summer 2003: Oxfam houses 2 USFT interns
Summer: 2003: Equal Exchange encounters USFT through organizing efforts with Cafe© Salvador and Oxfam. Helps to organize a visioning summit/retreat to discuss future of USFT.
Summer 2003: Oxfam goes on tour with rock band Coldplay and encourages college age students to promote the Make Trade Fair campaign by volunteering at concerts. Many students then organize Fair Trade campaigns on their campuses.
August 2003: Oxfam funds 3 day visioning summit for Vision, Mission and Values of USFT
August 2003: Discussion of national USFT conference in Santa Cruz, California
September 2003: At least 13 schools (Bates, SIT, Boston College, Wesleyan College, Emory and Henry, Loyola, DePauw, Evergreen State, Whitman, University of Puget Sound, Smith, St. Edwards, University of California Santa Cruz) with 100% Fair Trade coffee (resolutions) on campus, 6 additional schools (Harvard, , Yale, Northwestern, Case Western Reserve,) have resolutions passed.
Fall 2003: Formation of Chicago Students for Fair Trade.
September 2003, students on Procter and Gamble campuses participate in Global Exchange campaign on and play a role in introduction of Millstone Fair Trade certified blend.
October 2003: Begin organizing, fundraising, etc for 1st national conference
October/November Ã¢â‚¬â„¢03: Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with FTRN
February 2004: 1st annual Fair Trade Convergence is held in Santa, Cruz California; 125 participants, 43 schools, 3 countries, $35K budget
July- August 2004: Student delegation to Nicaragua. Student leadership and relationship with SOPEXCA, PRODECOOP and CECOCAFEN
Fall 2004: USFT partners with Oxfam to help facilitate the development of the Student Trade Justice Campaign.
Fall 2004: MOU with Oxfam
Fall 2004: World of Good partners with campuses to do Fair Trade craft fundraiser
October 2004: Strategic planning for USFT facilitated by Oxfam- development of long term vision, mission vision values, goals, etc.
September 2004: Launch of Domestic Fair Trade Campaign
Fall 2004: USFT partners with SFA and CIW for greater emphasis on domestic Fair Trade.
Fall 2004: Discussions about forming an advisory committee
January 2005: Formal sponsorship with the Fair Trade Resource Network
February 2005: 2nd annual Fair Trade Convergence held in Chicago, IL, major recruitment, 400 participants, 33 schools, 10 countries represented, $50,000 budget.
April 2005: USFT holds first elections
USFT participates in CIW talks
April 2005: USFT participates in the Global Week of Action
April 2005: SCAA in Seattle, 40 students in attendance housed and hosted by Pura Vida coffee, host Fair Trade party Saturday night. Held meetings with United Farmworkers of America furthering interest in domestic Fair Trade and also with Starbucks.
Summer 2005: USFT participates in Oxfam supermarket campaign
Fall 2005 Green Mountain Coffee Roasters helps organize transitions summit between leadership.
November 2005: Funding for full time National Coordinator/ office space donated by February 06.
February 2006: 3rd Annual Fair Trade Convergence held in Denver, CO. Emphasis on environmentalism and anti-oppression.
Spring 2006: youth producer interns in Denver, DC.
Spring 2006: Start on coordinated campaign for Jazzman's. First nationwide campaign for USFT, includes of 1,500 e-mails sent to Jazzman's.
March 2006: USFT hires full time National Coordinator.
May 2006: USFT hires three interns to coordinate Jazzman's campaign.
July-August 2006: Student Delegation to Tanzania-Uganda.
August 2006: 2nd delegation to Nicaragua, this time for new leadership team.
Summer 2006: Jazzman's commits to introduction of Fair Trade coffee in all of their 100 cafes nationwide.
February 2007: 4th annual Fair Trade Convergence held in Boston, MA.
February 2007: USFT pressures FLO in discussions about FT minimum price
USFT participation in Starbucks- Ethiopia campaign
Spring 2007: producer interns in DC, Denver and Boston.
Summer 2007 students in Thailand and Nicaragua.
Fall 2007: USFT national grassroots tour.
Winter 2007: Regional Convergences held in Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, and West-Coast