about us

USFT in a Nutshell

USFT is a national network of student organizations advocating around Fair Trade principles, products, and policies.1343102772_56acaa9b72_o.jpg

We have three main functions:

  • First, we organize--we work to consolidate and coordinate the power of the over 150 active student Fair Trade organizations in the U.S.
  • Second, we do leadership development and capacity building, primarily through intensive international exchanges and skill-building conferences.
  • Third, we serve as a resource to student affiliates looking for anything from strategic campaigning advice to internship opportunities.

Put together, USFT is a comprehensive global justice organization that is not only working to develop a new generation of Fair Trade leadership, but is also contributing substantially to the movement.

Download our "About us Guide"

Core Objectives

The core objective of USFT is to support an economic system which empowers producers so that they may work towards economic, social, and environmental sustainability. We do this by raising the awareness of and expanding the demand for Fair Trade alternatives, both on campuses and in communities. Through this process, we redefine relationships between producers and consumers, and engage in the ongoing struggle to build people's power in the face of corporate-driven globalization.

Our second core objective is to expand student empowerment by working together as students and youth to cultivate the consciousness, capacity, and creativity that will proactively shape a global economy based on equity, justice, and integrity. We do this through offering international exchanges and delegations, internship opportunities, convergences and conferences, producing informational materials, and developing the organizing skills of student leaders.

We emphasize Fair Trade alternatives in the context of our critique of global trade practices and partner with trade justice organizations that lobby for progressive trade policy. Our domestic trade work includes building partnerships with anti-sweatshop and farmworker rights groups in order to promote fair domestic trade practices. USFT participates in ongoing national campaigns and explores other alternative economic models to improve the livelihood of farmworkers and their families in the U.S.