AU has been one of the most active campuses in embracing Pura Vida, a representative for the company said at an informational meeting Wednesday.
"This [campus] might be ... one of the most involved," said Stacey Hess, a regional sales representative. "College students seem to be on the leading edge of Fair Trade. It's unbelievable."
Hess said she was impressed by AU's reception of Pura Vida, a company that sells 65 to 70 percent of its product to college students.
"It's been great to see how informed you are about our company," Hess told an audience of about 25 student leaders and graduate students from a Global Economy and Sustainable Development class.
Many students seem to know that Pura Vida uses 100 percent Fair Trade certified coffee, Hess said, but some might not know that the company is operated by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
The company doesn't seek to profit, she said, but to give back all the money it raises to at-risk communities in coffee-growing areas. Pura Vida's co-founder, Chris Dearnley, lives in Costa Rica where the company runs soup kitchens, education centers and after-school programs, and also sponsors soccer teams.
Hess said their socially conscious philosophy is so attractive that many companies donate their services for free. Their website, for example, was designed at no charge.
"We have really passionate customers who want to do a lot for us," she said.
Church groups have visited Pura Vida's facilities in Costa Rica, Hess said, on trips that sounded similar to Alternative Spring Break, according to the groups' president, Mike Haack, who attended the information session.
"That's why the Alternative Break mechanism was set up, is to utilize the resources available to us," Haack said.
Pura Vida could offer both coffee and a potential spring break destination, he said.
"[Pura Vida] would definitely fit right in like a glove," Haack said.
The session was sparsely attended because few on campus are concerned about which coffee vendor will fill the space in the Mary Graydon Center when Auntie Anne's leaves, said Andrew Mullin, a member of the General Assembly, the Student Confederation's legislative branch, who supports Starbucks.
"I don't think the majority of the student body cares whether it's Starbucks or Pura Vida," he said.
Mullin didn't attend the session because he said he didn't know about it.
Starbucks offers a choice between regular coffee and Fair Trade coffee, Mullin said. And since Starbucks is a bigger company, students can send a stronger message by buying Starbuck's Fair Trade coffee than by opening a Pura Vida, according to Mullin.
"[With Starbucks] you have a chance to change things on a global scale," he said.
Starbucks visited AU earlier this month to discuss a pilot program that appeals to socially conscious college students. A representative presented students with a pilot program that offers Fair Trade coffee as part of a larger effort to cater to colleges.
Pura Vida could compete with other coffee vendors besides its socially conscious appeal, Hess said.
"We can be competitive on merit alone," she said. "We believe this won't work unless we're committed to
quality."
Pura Vida is part of a 13-member buying co-op that allows the company to vie for the highest quality Fair Trade beans, Hess said. The beans come from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Sumatra, Papua New Guinea, Nicaragua and other countries.
The company ensures quality by inspecting the beans and by paying farmers a fair price, Hess said.
"It's our opinion that if you pay people a decent wage they'll take pride in what they do," she said.
The coffee debate has been healthy for AU, said Julie Weber, director of Housing and Dining Programs.
"I think this has been a really good conversation," she said. "It has become clear there are some very strong opinions... There are very compelling arguments on both sides."
Weber said she has no opinion on the issue. She said a vendor will be chosen by the administration within the coming weeks because construction on the new shop must begin this summer.
