Dining Services: Low demand spurs cut in Fair Trade coffee cut in Fair Trade coffee
Cortney Strube
Issue date: 9/25/07 Section: News
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Whether it's on ice or steaming hot, caffeinated or decaf, mixed with cream and sugar or made into a latte, coffee drinkers know it's all about options.
For the past five semesters, they've have had the choice of ordering a fresh cup of Cafe Estima Blend, Starbucks' newest Fair Trade certified coffee, but this semester, the Fair Trade blend has disappeared from Frog Bytes and Bistro Burnett Cafe, giving coffee drinkers one options less.
Frogs for Fair Trade, a student activist organization, is responsible for bringing Fair Trade products to campus. Susan Harz, co-coordinator for the organization, said it's important that Cafe Estima Blend be sold on campus again because Fair Trade products raise awareness.
"There are many people who simply aren't informed about the products they purchase," said Harz, a sophomore social work major. "We want the students and our community to understand that the products they buy do affect the people who make them."
Harz said coffee is just one of the Fair Trade products taken off the shelves this semester at Frog Bytes and Bistro Burnett. Also formally sold were Fair Trade certified Divine Chocolate and Honest Tea.
Legia Abato, marketing manager for TCU Dining Services, said Fair Trade products have not been permanently discontinued, but they are not in high demand.
Abato said that although Fair Trade coffee is out of stock and unavailable for purchase, TCU's Dining Services is awaiting a new order.
"We have very little movement on the product and our employees are trained to prevent waste," Abato said. "This is something that we are addressing and will maintain the Fair Trade offering at Starbucks in Frog Bytes."
She said Frog Bytes will eventually stop offering Fair Trade coffee.
"This fall, we have ordered a Keurig machine for The Main," said Abato. "Our plan is to move the Fair Trade coffee from Frog Bytes to The Main and, in doing that, offer a wider variety of products."
For the past five semesters, they've have had the choice of ordering a fresh cup of Cafe Estima Blend, Starbucks' newest Fair Trade certified coffee, but this semester, the Fair Trade blend has disappeared from Frog Bytes and Bistro Burnett Cafe, giving coffee drinkers one options less.
Frogs for Fair Trade, a student activist organization, is responsible for bringing Fair Trade products to campus. Susan Harz, co-coordinator for the organization, said it's important that Cafe Estima Blend be sold on campus again because Fair Trade products raise awareness.
"There are many people who simply aren't informed about the products they purchase," said Harz, a sophomore social work major. "We want the students and our community to understand that the products they buy do affect the people who make them."
Harz said coffee is just one of the Fair Trade products taken off the shelves this semester at Frog Bytes and Bistro Burnett. Also formally sold were Fair Trade certified Divine Chocolate and Honest Tea.
Legia Abato, marketing manager for TCU Dining Services, said Fair Trade products have not been permanently discontinued, but they are not in high demand.
Abato said that although Fair Trade coffee is out of stock and unavailable for purchase, TCU's Dining Services is awaiting a new order.
"We have very little movement on the product and our employees are trained to prevent waste," Abato said. "This is something that we are addressing and will maintain the Fair Trade offering at Starbucks in Frog Bytes."
She said Frog Bytes will eventually stop offering Fair Trade coffee.
"This fall, we have ordered a Keurig machine for The Main," said Abato. "Our plan is to move the Fair Trade coffee from Frog Bytes to The Main and, in doing that, offer a wider variety of products."
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Sharla Taylor (TCU mom(
posted 9/25/07 @ 6:48 AM CST
Please let Frogs for Fair Trade and dining services know about www.groundsforchange,com.
Thanks
Rory Phillips
posted 9/27/07 @ 7:52 AM CST
The Keurig machine may reduce coffee waste, but with all those individual plastic K cups, how much more garbage are we producing? That reducing waste bit is a joke. (Continued…)
Christina
posted 9/28/07 @ 1:28 PM CST
Sodexho has done the same thing to us at the George Washington University. We came back this Fall and Grounds for Change was gone. In it's place there is Seattle's Best and some Starbucks Esteema in the dining hall, but after 3 weeks they haven't even kept their promise of having a full line available of Seattle's Best where Grounds for Change used to be. (Continued…)
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