[There are two types of annual activities: "group-based" and "whole lab" activities]

Fairtrade Lab conducts fair trade awareness activities in the form of internships, focusing on collaborations with companies and local communities. The activities are "student-led," and many aspects are decided by the students themselves, from annual lesson plans to negotiations with collaborating companies. Projects are generally carried out in groups, but several times a year, the entire lab also works together. In May, we participated in a "POP-UP Shop" held by the NPO Fairtrade Label Japan, and in June and December, we held an event called "Fairtrade Week" on campus. The "POP-UP Shop" was an industry-academia collaboration event held at Sibuya Scramble Square by the lab, Fairtrade Label Japan, and Innovation Design Co., Ltd., a company that works on sustainable businesses. The shop, titled "Our 2050 and Fairtrade," sold fair trade products selected by lab students, and more than 2,000 people visited the shop. "Fair Trade Week" is an event held on campus every year in the first and second semesters, during which each group worked together to carry out their activities simultaneously, making an impactful appeal for fair trade.


[A year of growth for myself and for Fairtrade Lab as a whole]

My year as lab director was extremely busy, but I feel like I have developed an eye for looking at the lab as a whole through my activities. I have started to think of fair trade as something that concerns me more, and even when I drink coffee, I realize that my consumption behavior is directly connected to social trends. Over the past year, the Fair Trade Lab has set the goal of "spreading environmental awareness among the same Generation Z as us." Through various activities, I feel like I have come closer to that goal to some extent.

[Targeting Aogaku and making full use of social media for promotions]

In collaboration with imperfect Omotesando ^*, we developed and sold an original drink at the Omotesando Hills Dojunkan store. Imperfect Inc. is a company that strives to raise awareness of fair trade while incorporating the element of "fun," and for this collaboration, they provided advice on everything from marketing basics to product development and PR strategies. The target demographic for the project was the same Generation Z as us, and the concept was decided to be "a drink that looks good on social media for Generation Z who want to enjoy fashion on a limited budget." The "Honey Nut Tart Latte" was created with the image of a "drinkable nut tart" using fair trade nuts. As a PR measure, we were particularly conscious of Aogaku, and we made efforts to create content such as "Enjoy your free time at imperfect Omotesando" and a PR video by members involved in media relations, and ultimately sold 198 units, achieved sales of approximately 160,000 yen, and SNS impressions of approximately 7,000.

*Closing on November 12, 2023

[By quantifying the goal, actions become clear]

Looking back on the project, I think it was good that the entire group was aware of and shared the numerical goals, and that each person was proactive in carrying out their assigned tasks, including activities outside of class. In this collaboration, we were able to directly interact with people from companies and food account influencers, and were able to learn and absorb work know-how and ways of thinking about value provision. I think it was a valuable learning opportunity, as it gave us the necessary sense of collaboration when working in a company or other organization in the future.

[We are greatly encouraged by customers' comments that the food is delicious]

Nana Cafe ^* on the first floor of Building 7 on Aoyama Campus is a familiar presence for Aogaku. We wanted to use that presence to appeal to Aogaku about fair trade, so we developed a collaborative drink with Nana Cafe. After researching student needs using social media and other sources, we decided on the "Refreshing Cream Soda" product for the first term, inspired by the recent trend of pure coffee shops. The cream soda, which uses fair trade agave syrup, was a big hit, selling about 1,300 cups, far exceeding our target. In the second term, with Christmas in mind, we sold "Holiday Hot Chocolate" using fair trade chocolate powder, which was also well received and sold 548 cups. We felt a great sense of accomplishment in contributing to the increase in Nana Cafe's customer numbers and receiving feedback from customers who drank the drink saying it was "delicious." We would like to make use of this in our future activities.

*Closing on January 31, 2024

[Experience of doing things ourselves, from market research to sales, is a valuable asset]

It was really fun to turn our ideas into reality and make our customers happy. Through this collaboration, I have gained a deeper understanding of social issues, and by interacting with people from companies, I think I have developed an attitude of respect for people in different positions and diverse values. Personally, my experience as a team leader was a great asset. It was a year in which I was able to learn skills such as how to revitalize a team while supporting my team members as a leader.

[The meaning behind the name "tiritUmo choco"]

In collaboration with food trading company Tachibana Shoten Co., Ltd., we created the original packaging for fair trade chocolate and named it "tiritUmo choco." The name of the chocolate is inspired by the saying "Kei mo tsumoru yama ni" ("everything brings a mountain"), and conveys the idea that "the small act of purchasing fair trade products leads to smiles on the faces of producers." For the packaging, we chose a bright green color to evoke the image of pistachio-flavored chocolate, and featured an illustration of producers and consumers holding hands and cacao. In September, we participated in an event called "Tokyo Chocolate Salon" held at Sibuya Hikarie and sold our chiritsumo chocolate. In November, we also sold it at the 7-Eleven on campus, and we were able to sell all 300 pieces, which was our goal. We will never forget the excitement we felt when our original chocolate was completed and customers picked it up at the event. In addition, "Tokyo Chocolate Salon" also collaborated with food wholesaler Kokubu Group Honsha Co., Ltd., and supported the sales of the company's fair trade chocolate.

[Advice from companies is a great help]

We are very grateful for the active support from the companies, including lectures on planning. Through this collaboration, our group was able to learn the skills of sharing opinions and presenting. Personally, I feel that by serving as group leader, I have learned a sense of responsibility, initiative, and the ability to motivate everyone. We learned a lot from the lab's activities, both in terms of understanding fair trade and practical skills.

With the goal of raising awareness of fair trade and encouraging use of Aogaku 's student cafeteria, we collaborated with the student cafeteria to sell our original "Nantakos." We targeted students who like ethnic food, and used fair trade certified curry powder in our Nantacos. We promoted the product using flyers, signs, and social media, and were able to sell out our target of 300 meals within the five-day sales period. They sold out faster than expected, and we had extra flyers, so we would like to think of a different way to advertise in the future. I learned a lot at the Fair Trade Lab. I would like to use what I learned to grow into someone who can connect with the world and change it, even if just a little.

We sold fair trade cookies in collaboration with FACT, a student fair trade group at Chuo University, and Nepali Bazaro LLC, which promotes fair trade with a focus on supporting producers in Nepal. We created cookie packaging designs and sales displays, which we then displayed at Nana Cafe and the school's purchasing meeting. Together with FACT, we sold a total of 80 sets. We struggled at times to come up with ideas and coordinate with the various parties involved, but the sense of accomplishment we felt when our ideas were realized was priceless. We hope to use the fair trade knowledge and basic skills we learned in the lab to help create a better society.

In order to teach children about fair trade, we collaborated with AEON Atsugi store and set up a booth at an event called "CHiKa Fest." Approximately 250 people participated in the event, where we held activities such as coloring books with a cacao bean motif, sugoroku (a board game), screenings of fair trade videos for children, distribution of picture books provided by Chukyo University, and distribution of recipes using AEON's fair trade products. Many children were able to learn about fair trade while having fun. At the children's event, we also gained an awareness that we should prepare easy games and eye-catching decorations.

This year's goal was to collaborate with a food trading company that handles fair trade products and sell them at a pop-up store. We met with the company several times and learned valuable lessons, such as receiving specific comments, but we had difficulty in acquiring sponsored products and securing a venue for the pop-up store, so unfortunately this year's project was postponed. Looking back, we learned that in order to promote a project, it is important to be creative in how you communicate with the other party, and that it is important to make decisions according to the timing. We have renewed our determination to aim to steadily hold events next year.

["Fair trade" and "corporate perspective" are the keys to learning]

Our lab aims to have students think and act on their own, so that they can gain practical knowledge on the theme of fair trade. Fair Trade Label Japan, a certified NPO of which I am Trustee, cooperates with the lab, and for the past six months, I have been working with students on behalf of Professor Morishima Yutaka, who is currently studying abroad. The main support I provide is the provision of knowledge on fair trade and practical advice from a former corporate professional.


[Summary after the activity report session]

In collaborating with companies, students with no work experience had to overcome hurdles such as collaborating with company representatives and requesting sponsored products, and some groups struggled. However, I believe that these real-life experiences were practical learning that will be useful in society. In particular, flexible communication skills are something that I would like all lab students to acquire, and I hope that they will use them in their future challenges.

We have also received comments from students on campus saying, "I learned about fair trade when I saw the lab students' efforts." We hope that the lab students will gain confidence in their activities and continue to develop a perspective of "what can I do about social issues?" Learning about society will surely be useful when considering your own career.

*The years of employment, Position, activities, etc. of the people featured are, in principle, those at the time of the interview, unless otherwise noted.