McGill.CA / Food and Dining Services / Sustainability

Fairtrade

fair trade silver campusMcGill, now a Silver Designated Fair Trade Campus

McGill University was awarded a unified Silver Fair Trade Campus designation by Fairtrade Canada, recognizing the collective efforts of both the Downtown and Macdonald campuses to increase the availability of Fair Trade products and promote Fair Trade education and engagement across the university community. As the first campus in Quebec achieve this status, McGill continues to be committed to offering our community initiatives that that help farmers and workers get fair wages and living conditions.

As a leader in Fair Trade purchasing, Student Housing and Hospitality Services is proud to contribute to advancing Fair Trade on campus and to inspire continued progress to other Canadian universities.

We are proud to offer Fair Trade coffee, tea, chocolate, and bananas across our campuses. In addition, Fair Trade sugar and shredded coconut are available in our dining halls, helping make ethical purchasing choices accessible to our community every day.

McGill Fair Trade linktr.ee McGill Fair Trade Instagram

Our Fair Trade Journey to Silver

  • 2026 McGill earned a unified silver fair trade campus designation for both the Downtown and the Macdonald Campuses.
  • 2023 Awarded the Silver Designation Fair Trade Campus for our Downtown campus.
  • 2019 Macdonald Campus receives Fair Trade Campus designation.
  • 2017 Led the World’s Largest Fair Trade Bake Sale. The proceeds of the bake sale went to flood relief projects at the Norandino coffee co-operative in Northern Peru, an Origin Trip to Peru for two University students, and Fair Trade education and outreach campaigns on Canadian university campuses.
  • 2016 Awarded the 2016 Fair Trade Canada Campus of the Year Award against 21 campus competitors.
  • 2016 Launched out very own unique Fair Trade coffee blend, McGill Roddick Roast.
  • 2016 Opened a Starbucks location in Carrefour Sherbrooke Residence, offering Fair Trade coffee.
  • 2015 Won the Guinness World Record for the World's Largest Smoothie at 3,121 liters. The bananas were Fair Trade and the strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries were all grown in Quebec.
  • 2014 Prepared the World's Largest Fair Trade brownie, weighing an impressive 4,400 pounds.
  • 2013 Fairtrade Canada recognized McGill University’s commitment to Fair Trade purchases and awarded McGill with the Fair Trade Campus designation.
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