As a high-school student studying in France as part of a foreign exchange program, UC Davis senior Matt Nagel said he had never even heard of Lance Armstrong, much less dreamed about biking across the country.

   But as Nagel prepares to pedal 3,800 miles from San Francisco to Washington D.C. in June, Armstrong is now one of Nagel's biggest sources of inspiration.

   On Sunday, Nagel will begin a journey across the country over a two-month span to help raise awareness about fair trade and food sustainability.

   Nagel will be part of a San Francisco-based international human and economic rights organization called Global Exchange, which has sponsored the Bike-Aid cross-country trek for 20 years.

   Promoting fair-trade policies and food sustainability became important to Nagel in recent years as a result of taking courses in American studies and watching a documentary on the meager working conditions of U.S. clothing manufacturers in Saipan.

   According to Nagel, fair-trade practices entail promoting decent wages and working conditions for factory workers. In terms of food sustainability, Nagel said he hopes to promote fair-trade policies regarding food production as well as find out how food is produced and where it comes from.

   "I feel compelled to [take the trip]," Nagel said. "I'm excited to get involved and go to different communities to meet with people and see what they have to say about food sustainability."

   Senior Pam Del Pinal, who has known Nagel since high school, said he has always been an unselfish person who has wanted to sacrifice his time for various community causes.

   "He has always been about other people," Del Pinal said. "I think the best things that he got from his parents are his ability to be a good listener, not judge people and be active in the community."

   Del Pinal said Nagel comes from a family that is very active in the community and aware of other people's problems.

   Nagel's mother Terry is a member of the Burlingame City Council and fought Pacific Gas & Electric to help with the city's persistent blackouts two years ago.

   From being part of the California Aggie Marching Band-Uh to volunteering at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center, Nagel has always wanted to undertake new and challenging endeavors, Terry said.

   "I think [the trip] is going to be a real challenge, physically, but it's also a chance to meet people all across the country who are interested in promoting fair trade and food sustainability," she said.

   Terry added that Nagel has always been able to relate to the needs of other people, mentioning that he went with a church group during high school to help build houses in a poverty-stricken area of Mexico.

   "He's always had an amazing ability to communicate well with other people," Terry said. "He's been a very responsible, good friend to a lot of people."

   Nagel said he has been impressed with the diversity of the UCD programs that promote fair trade and food sustainability, and noted the ASUCD Coffee House's supply of fair-trade coffee and Project Compost as initiatives that have contributed to the environmental friendliness of the campus.

   "UCD is pretty environmentally friendly," Nagel said, "It's a unique place."

   Nagel's daily bike trips will range from 40 to 113 miles and the group will visit various community service sites and volunteer in different locations, among other things.

   The group will end up in Washington, D.C. and plans to meet with state legislators to promote fair trade and food-sustainability policies.

   Regardless of whether the group can meet with members of the U.S. Congress, Nagel said its members plan to rally in front of the White House.

   Aside from his personal expenses for the trip, Nagel must raise $1 for every mile of the trip for Global Exchange.

   With only half of the required $3,800 collected so far, Nagel said he has been frantically calling friends and family to encourage them to sponsor him for the trip.

   He joked that he would still go on the trip even if he has to go into credit card debt to raise the necessary funds.

   To help Nagel raise the necessary amount of money and avoid going into debt, people can sponsor him by visiting globalexchange.org and clicking on "Donate/Membership."

   Nagel will keep track of his experience at http://bikeusa.blogspot.com.