Returning for the spring semester, most faculty and students were pleasantly surprised by a row of new coffee pots in the Dining Commons, set off by a wide green backdrop announcing the product: “aspretto.”
The drink station is significant, not only because of its selection of brews, flavored teas, and 12-ounce cups with lids, but because aspretto uses mostly Fair Trade products and environmentally-friendly materials.
Previously, Fair Trade and non-Fair Trade coffees stood as options in the Dining Commons.
One choice remains: coffee that has been purchased with farmers and communities in mind. Aspretto coffee is 100 percent Fair Trade and its organic teas are mostly Fair Trade, with the exception of two flavored teas that are ethically sourced but not Fair Trade certified.
“It’s been really well-received,” Sodexo retail manager Steve Jacke said. Sodexo has received numerous comment cards praising the Fair Trade coffee, he said, as well as many compliments from faculty members.
Jacke said the change came because of “a combination of students who wanted more Fair Trade in the Dining Commons and Sodexo as a company.”
According to Jacke, aspretto, a Sodexo brand, was new this past year.
“It’s spreading,” he said, andnoted that it may soon be introduced in all colleges with Sodexo services.
Jacke added that students will enjoy this upgrade without a price increase. “We’re not passing on the cost,” he said. “Meal plan costs won’t go up because of it.”
Although students can now carry out 12-ounce coffees after meals, “so far, it hasn’t taken away any business from the Jammin’ Java,” he said.
In fact, “(aspretto) might be coming to the Jammin’ Java sometime soon,” Jacke said.