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York students quiz Mugabi Sam Karugaba
from Uganda during the question
stations activity.
Graphics workshop - work in progress
Graphics workshop - 'The dream'
Co-op Fair Trade Manager, Brad Hill,
shows the producers around the
Manchester store
The coffee farmers visit Toad Lane
North Yorkshire and Southampton Students go
Face-to-Face with Fairtrade Coffee Farmers
Pupils from 12 schools in North Yorkshire and Southampton had the chance to find out about the benefits of Fairtrade direct from the people who grow the coffee beans at two special events organised by the College in early June
The ‘Face-to-Face’ day conferences were run in partnership with NYBEP (North Yorkshire Business Education Partnership) and S’EEN (the Schools Enterprise Education Network). Participants spent the day taking part in a range of activities through which they found out about the lives of people in the developing world by meeting coffee farmers from Uganda, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.
All the visitors were members of coffee farming co-operatives that supply beans to the UK through their producer organisation, Twin Trading. Their products appear on the supermarket shelves in some of the well-known Fairtrade brands such as Café Direct.
The youngsters heard about the problems involved in growing coffee, particularly in the current climate of the all-time low price their commodity fetches in the world market. They also found out about the ways in which the Fairtrade scheme not only ensures that some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable farmers are ensured a fair price for their goods and how the Fairtrade premium is used to improve the standard of living in their communities by providing schools and health care.
“We think young people can be great ambassadors for Fairtrade,” said Co-operative College principal Mervyn Wilson. “Many of them have a keen sense of injustice and want to find practical ways of helping to eradicate poverty in the world. Using our spending power wisely, by choosing Fairtrade products, is one way that we can do something as individuals.”
Education Consultant [S’EEN], Dr. Patricia Brown, said “We were delighted to be involved with this event. Ethics are an important part of enterprise education in the 21st century and we believe that the opportunity to meet and talk to the coffee farmers gave the students a firsthand understanding of the way that business choices can have a positive impact on the world.”
After getting to know the coffee farmers, the students took part in a range of media workshops – using video, audio recording, graphics, mapping, games, drama, and writing – to record the story of Fairtrade coffee and the lives of the people behind it.
“We have produced a bank of educational resources which can be taken back to the schools, and used on the internet, to inform others about the benefits of Fairtrade,” said event co-ordinator Julie Thorpe. “The students had lots of fun during the day whilst also learning a great deal which they wouldn’t normally hear in school.”
During the visit, the coffee farmers visited Manchester and were shown around the city centre story by Co-operative Group Fairtrade Manager Brad Hill. The also visited Toad Lane and expressed delighted to see the birthplace of co-operation.