Fairtrade
GCU has a longstanding commitment to Fairtrade. It was first accredited as a Fairtrade University in 2012, and in partnership with GCU Students' Association has achieved a Three Star Fairtrade University Award in the 2024-26 cohort of the Fairtrade Universities and Colleges Award.
The University and the Students' Association's commitments are set out in our joint Fairtrade Policy. Our Fairtrade Plan sets out our objectives for the coming year, while our annual Progress Report outlines our achievements so far.
In November 2025, third-year Managed Project module students from the School of Science and Engineering completed a Fairtrade Scoping Study at Glasgow Caledonian University. The study was commissioned in collaboration with the Sustainability team to support the University’s ongoing work on Fairtrade on campus and to gauge the University students and staff awareness of the presence of Fairtrade on campus. The Scoping Study indicated a high level of support for Fairtrade, despite identifying gaps in communicating on Fairtrade to the wider University population. These findings were used to update the University's Fairtrade Plan in March 2026.
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. Find out more on the Fairtrade Foundation web pages.
Fairtrade is important for the University as it aligns with our commitment to being the University for the Common Good. If you want to learn more about Sustainability and Fairtrade, please complete our Core Sustainability Induction (for both students and staff).
You can also explore the Fairtrade Foundation's Fairtrade Risk Map, an interactive tool designed to help users explore human rights and environmental risks in global supply chains. To use it, you start by selecting a product (such as coffee, cocoa or bananas) and a country or region, which then displays the key risks associated with that context. The map allows you to examine different types of risks such as child labour, poverty, gender inequality, and environmental issues. In addition, it provides explanations of their root causes and impacts. The Fairtrade Risk Map considers all human rights, includes root cause analysis, and has been produced in conjunction with a wide range of farmers, workers and external and internal experts.
How to engage with Fairtrade on campus:
- Join the Fairtrade Steering Group
- Complete the Sustainability Induction
- Purchase Fairtrade items at catering outlets
- Come along to Fairtrade events
- Collaborate with the Sustainability Team/Fairtrade Steering Group to deliver a Fairtrade related project/dissertation - read about the latest student project
The University promotes Fairtrade through multiple events, campaigns or volunteering opportunities. Please see below of Fairtrade events that have taken place from 2024 to 2026:
For more details on upcoming Sustainability events, please visit our Events and campaigns webpage or sign up to our Sustainability Newsletter.
Fairtrade products are currently available primarily through the catering outlets on campus and we are engaging our supply chain to explore opportunities for increasing the range of products that are Fairtrade or have strong ethical trade credentials.
See below for some examples of the Fairtrade products available on campus:
In addition to the University's Fairtrade Policy, our Sustainable Food Implementation Plan sets out commitments to Fairtrade.
The University's annual Fairtrade progress reports outline our achievements on Fairtrade:
Fairtrade Progress Report 2023-24
Fairtrade Progress Report 2022-23