- Selina Maginn (Hospitality Services Catering Manager)
‘I am passionate about ensuring that the products we supply within the University give the growers a fair price for their hard work. I am delighted to help in the Universities Fairtrade campaign.’
- David Symington (Third Year Finance Student)
‘Last summer I visited a Fairtrade Vine-yard in South Africa with a team from QUB. I was amazed at the positive effect that Fairtrade had on the lives of the growers and their families. I fully support QUB’s proposal to become a Fairtrade University especially due to the added awareness that it will bring for students about Fairtrade issues.‘
- Victoria Simms (Psychology PG student)
‘After having witnessed extreme poverty on my GAP year I realised the impact that we in Northern Ireland can have on people living in the developing world. I believe that QUB becoming a Fairtrade university will help generate awareness within the student community that we can really help others in the most simplest of ways.‘
- Maria McCloskey (Former Students’ Union President)
‘I hope that through our education and awareness raising campaign that we can convince all staff and students at Queen’s that Fairtrade offers the fairest option for all. We as purchasers get a high quality product and at the same time we ensure that the producer gets a stable decent percentage of the cost thus giving Third World farmers reasonable income on which to build their families and communities.‘
- Dr Satish Kumar (Lecturer, School of Geography)
‘It is very important to engage in ethical trading practices so that the developing world can gain from the comparative advantage of producing primary commodities, which they have specialised over the centuries. Fairtrade helps to reduce poverty, enhance livelihood options and make agricultural practices socially and economically sustainable. Fairtrade allows us the opportunity to give voices and empower the farmers of the developing world. Queen’s University’s endorsement of Fairtrade options in all retail outlets in the campus will be a significant step towards endorsement of ethical agenda towards supporting international developmental objectives and help eliminate global poverty.‘
- Professor Gerry McCormac (Pro-Vice Chancellor)
“Queen’s University is fully committed to the Fairtrade Campaign. In today’s commercially driven world producers often see very little profit from their produce. Third world farmers are particularly vulnerable to commercial exploitation. They need the support that Fairtrade can offer to ensure that a fair price is paid for their produce.
By buying Fairtrade products we are ensuring that production costs are covered and that a small profit is returned to farmers. This enables communities to develop and provides schooling, basic amenities and a decent quality of life for these vulnerable people.“