Archive

Ramapo College Fair Trade Week
February 7th – 11th, 2022

Fair Trade aims at creating sustainable and equitable trade relationships by ensuring sound working conditions of producers and reducing negative environmental impacts. This is a week full of learning about Fair Trade, and about Fair Trade at Ramapo College, and focused on brainstorming how we can all get involved. There will be lectures, panel discussions, and a film screening, all intended to present the the reasons WHY we need a Fair Trade Movement, as well as laying out the history, theories and practices of Fair Trade.

Ramapo faculty and guest lecturers from the Fair Trade Campaign, will discuss what Fair Trade is, how Fair Trade practices are implemented, how Fair Trade relates to food systems and economic justice, what a Fair Trade business looks like from the insider’s point of view.  We will also exploe how blockchain and machine learning can transform the practices of Fair Trade.

We will learn about the progress the College has made, over the past few years in bringing Fair Trade goods to campus.  We will also find out the steps remaining for Ramapo College to attain certification as a Fair Trade campus. Information about the week’s events are presented below. For questions and more information, email Prof. Neriko Doerr at ndoerr@ramapo.edu.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Monday, February 7th, 2022:

2:30 pm to 3:45 pm:   Panel “Fair Trade Campaigns: How it Started and Where it’s Going”
Ms. Holly Francis and Ms. Taryn Lemmon from the Fair Trade Campaign, Ms. Kylie Nealis from Fair Trade USA, and Isabel Varela from the NYC Far Trade Coalition.
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This lecture will provide an overview of Fair Trade and how a non-profit organization, Fair Trade Campaign, helps cities, universities, and schools get involved in Fair Trade practices.

Recording: Fair Trade Campaigns: How it Started and Where it’s Going

Tuesday, February 8th, 2022

10am-11am: Lecture “An Overview of Fair Trade and How Fair Trade Campaigns Bolsters the Movement” by Ms. Holly Francis from the Fair Trade Campaigns
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This lecture will discuss how a Non-Profit Organization, Fair Trade Campaigns, work to promote Fair Trade

Recording: An Overview of Fair Trade and How Fair Trade Campaigns Bolsters the Movement (Upload Pending)

PDF of Holly Francis’ Powerpoint Slides

2:30 pm-3:30 pm: Panel Discussion “Food Systems, Economic Injustice, Fair Trade and Beyond” by Profs. Martha Ecker, Ashwani Vasishth, and Neriko Doerr
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This panel by three Ramapo professors will discuss structural aspect of commodity circulation and ethical issues involved at the systemic level and how Fair Trade relates to them.

Recording: Food Systems, Economic Injustice, Fair Trade and Beyond

3:30pm-5pm: Film screening and discussion: The True Cost
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The film, The True Cost, illustrates the labor issues and environmental devastation created by fast fashion industry and discuss what consumers can do. Discussions follow the screening.

URL: Watch the film On the Web, The True Cost

Thursday, February 10th, 2022

4:30 pm-5:30 pm:  Lecture “Fair Trade: An Insider’s View” by Ms. Caryn Maxim
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Caryn Maxim is the founder of Mayamam Weavers, a Fair-Trade company that markets the beautiful handwoven home and fashion accessories made by the Tejedoras Maya Mam weaving cooperative in Guatemala. She will share some of the challenges and rewards of being part of the Fair Trade movement.

Recording: Fair Trade: An Insider’s View

Friday, February 11th, 2022:

4pm-5pm: Lecture “Blockchain and Machine Learning for Sustainable Development: Transforming Fair Trade” by Prof. Nikhil Varma
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This lecture connects blockchain and machine learning to Fair Trade, offering future development in transforming Fair Trade.

Recording: Blockchain and Machine Learning for Sustainable Development: Transforming Fair Trade