Just Ask... for the Frog on Campus

Campus

From composting cafeteria waste to hiring hybrid buses, colleges around the US are upping the ante when it comes to campus sustainability. With roughly 18 million students enrolled in 7,000 colleges and universities across the country, the importance of their involvement can't be underestimated.

That's why the Rainforest Alliance is launching a new college outreach campaign designed to involve students in the sourcing decisions made at their schools. We're demonstrating to students and administrators that they can make a difference, just by demanding that food, beverages, wood and paper products come from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms and forests. We're also encouraging students to ask those in charge of school travel to prioritize sustainable student, alumni and staff trips, and to use Rainforest Alliance Verified™ hotels and tour operators.

To ensure that university students are prepared to kick off their own sustainability campaigns, we'll unveil a comprehensive new section of the Rainforest Alliance Web site on November 8. The Frog on Campus pages will include background on the issues surrounding food, beverages, wood, paper and travel choices, plus a broad set of action materials (including petitions, letters, videos and more) to help students get the sustainability ball rolling on campus. Students will also soon be able to find material -- and communicate with allies -- on Frog on Campus Facebook and Twitter pages.

Out of college? You can still participate! The Frog on Campus Web pages will include material for alumni who wish to contact their alma maters about making sustainable sourcing a priority. (And as consumers, you can always make a difference by asking local retailers to stock Rainforest Alliance Certified goods and by choosing sustainable travel options.)

Why Campus Sourcing Matters

  • Coffee, tea and chocolate occupy some 55 million acres (22 million hectares) of farmland -- land that's home to forests, wildlife and often impoverished communities. (Coffee, alone, provides a livelihood for some 25 million people in the tropics.)
  • Each day, more than 400 million cups of coffee are consumed in the US -- and young people, ages 18 to 24, are the fastest growing segment of coffee drinkers in the country. 
  • Universities rely heavily on paper and wood products -- and we're currently losing the Earth's forests at a rate of 32 million acres (13 million hectares) each year. Responsible forestry can ensure the long-term availability of wood and paper products while keeping trees standing.
  • From study abroad to spring break, student and youth travel in the US is up 76 percent -- that travel can wield incredible economic clout, especially in areas rich in biological and cultural diversity.