Welcome to March's Sustainable Halls article!

There’s lots going on in Halls this month – recycling audits, energy audits, a foraging walk, microgreen planting, reusable sandwich bag-making, and plenty more!

Our overall focus this month is on food – where it comes from, the environmental impact of producing it, and ensuring that we minimise waste in what we buy. With this in mind, there’s no better time to tell you about the efforts The University of Liverpool and the Guild have been making towards ensuring all food outlets on campus are Fairtrade certified! 

What is Fairtrade?

You might be familiar with the Fairtrade symbol above – this is called the International Fairtrade Certification Mark. The symbol is granted by Fairtrade International, a nonprofit organisation which seeks to improve the lives of farmers and workers through fair trade. 

You may have seen the symbol on a variety of products available in the supermarket – coffee, chocolate, tea, bananas, and many other products often feature this certification. This symbol demonstrates that the producers and exporters of the product protect workers’ rights and the environment. It also guarantees a price safety net to prevent goods being sold at a loss, and the Fairtrade premium, which helps to fund social projects.

Why the University and Guild want Fairtrade

Ensuring the products we sell on campus are Fairtrade certified isn’t just an attempt to look good. Fairtrade ensures sustainability is embedded in the very root of the supply chain. It improves income and food security for farmers, along with workers’ rights, eliminating child labour, gender equality, and encourages the transition to more environmentally conscious production methods.

By moving to Fairtrade products, you can purchase from any University or Guild outlet content in the knowledge that the product you’ve bought has contributed to sustainable development across the supply chain.

Fairtrade feeds into all many of the goals included in the University’s new Strategic Framework for 2031. Here are a few examples of where Fairtrade comes into play:

🌍 Support and empower staff to develop their understanding and confidence in making sustainable decisions – by making Fairtrade the default choice, staff in charge of procurement have the sustainable decision made for them. It also encourages them to keep sustainable and ethical accreditations in mind in any future decisions.

🌍 Develop partnerships which align with our values and drive forward better outcomes locally and globally – working with Fairtrade is one of these very partnerships and helps to foster that beneficial change on a global scale.

🌍 Develop sustainable procurement standards which actively promote local impact and supply chain equity – this is what Fairtrade is all about. Achieving Fairtrade accreditation is a foundational step towards the achievement of this goal.

🌍 Embed sustainability throughout all our estate operations, creating sustainable, inclusive and resilient campuses – Ensuring Fairtrade products are available across campus, no matter whether you’re dining in at Bertie and Bella’s or grabbing a burrito from the Courtyard, means all tastes, preferences and requirements are catered for.

Beyond Fairtrade 

Fairtrade isn’t the be-all and end-all of food sustainability. We’ve got lots of opportunities to making your food choices more sustainable and equitable. Check out some of these actions and activities below:

🍌 Make use of the food waste bin in your kitchen. All the food waste you dispose of correctly is used to generate carbon-neutral electricity and fertilise the fields which grow our food! Check out Sam’s article from last year to learn more about how useful your food waste can be!

🌱 Make the most of the food in the world around you by learning a bit about foraging! Join us for the Foraging Walk and Cooking Session on the 27th March, where Daniel, our expert forager, will show you where to find wild garlic and turn it into a delicious vegan pesto you can use on your cooking at home. Grab a ticket here!

🥗 Love a quick salad, but are sick of all the plastic they come in at the shops? Why not grow some microgreens? These immature shoots might be small, but they’re packed with vitamins and minerals your body needs! Come to our Microgreen Growing Session on Wednesday 12th March in the Vine Court Mezzanine to take part. For more details, visit the event page.

☕ Whether you’re a caffeine addict or a water-lover, minimise your waste with a reusable cup or bottle! Many buildings across campus have water fountains where you can fill up a bottle, and all our café outlets will give a 25p discount to any hot drink if you provide your own cup.

We hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about Fairtrade and the other ways you can keep your diet sustainable.

Don’t forget to check out this month's 5 sustainable actions for a quick pointer to your next sustainable Give it a Go. Have a great month!