"Critic Magazine Issue 19 - 14.08.06"

OUSA becomes fair trader

By Ben Thomson

Globally-minded students are now able to purchase a range of fair trade coffee products at near-wholesale prices from the OUSA office, thanks to an initiative put in place by the OUSA reception staff.

OUSA is not the only place in Dunedin to offer fair trade coffee, with up to 25 Dunedin cafes already offering it. However, after fair trade coffee proved to be a hit in the tearoom, receptionist Prue Clark thought it was also important for OUSA to stock fair trade coffee as a service to students and to promote the scheme in the University.

Clark concedes fair trade products can come at a higher cost to consumers, but says that OUSA is able to offer the products very cheaply, as there are no overhead costs. “We’re lucky as a student association we don’t have to make a profit, so it means we just have to cover our costs and [we] can sell it for a reasonable price as well.” Currently, five products are offered, including instant coffee, ground beans, whole beans and decaf coffee, and are selling for between $5.60 and $8.50 for a 200g bag.

Oxfam, a well-known proponent of the fair trade movement, is impressed by the initiative. Oxfam New Zealand’s fair trade spokesperson Linda Broom says students overseas are a huge market for fair trade coffee and have helped the movement become fashionable in New Zealand. “Universities have always been at the forefront of social movements around the world, and the fair trade movement is no exception,” she says. “That is why it is so exciting to see similar initiatives growing in New Zealand universities like Otago.”

If the initiative proves to be successful, Clark says OUSA may branch out into other products such as fair trade chocolate and rice.