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March 2010
A Cooperative Coffees e-Newsletter for and about Fair Trade
March 2010
In this issue...
Reach out!
Spring is in the air!! For those of us up in the "Far North" that means, time to put away the snow boots and heavy jackets and pull out the bicycle and sunglasses. Spring is also a time of new beginnings and growth. And while for Coop Coffees and the Fair Trade movement growth happens in every season...this spring is particularly bright! Coop Sol welcomes its new Board of Directors, staff and roaster members embark upon a year full of exciting travel and project work, and plans advance for a promising Fair Trade Futures Conference. Also new this spring, CoopCoffees lands the first container from our newest producer partner in Sumatra (APKO)!
In other news, Larry Larson of CC member (and co-founder) Larry's Beans is working on his own repertoire of projects in relations with producer partners and in local sustainability...and he's getting a lot of attention from the local press for his efforts! Just Coffee is also making a splash in the media for their commitment to biking. For many of us the biking season has only just begun. But for JC and their die-hard Madison, WI staff -- bike delivery brings fresh coffee despite rain, hail, sleet and snow!
But our roaster members aren't the only ones collaborating with their communities and changing the lives the people around them. Producer partner CECOCAFEN is celebrating 11 solid years for their project GMAS -- a solidarity savings group that serves women in the region. And crossing the bridge between roasters and producers, Higher Grounds is teaming up with the Tesfa Foundation and Oromia Coffee Producers Union in Ethiopia to support schools and education in Afursa Waro.
Finally, in the world of Fair Trade, yet another large company jumped on the Fair Trade bandwagon...the much-loved Ben and Jerry's ice cream company has made a very public commitment to "going Fair Trade" by 2013 which once again raises the debate of value vs. volume as corporations take a stake in the movement. And it's questions and debates like this one that hundreds of people -- students, practitioners, consumers, and advocates -- will be discussing at the Fair Trade Futures Conference in Boston September 10 - 12, 2010. Don't forget to register BEFORE March 31 and benefit from the early-bird registration discounts!!
Thanks and enjoy your read!
Let us know what changes you'd like to see in this newsletter by emailing us at bignews@coopcoffees.com.
Outreach and Communications
Meet Coop Sol's new Board of Directors!
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Following elections at January's Coop Sol annual assembly, the new Board members (and one returning member) are settling into their positions and mustering up the energy to tackle all the exciting projects on Coop Sol's agenda for 2010! This year's Board, once again, is made up of a wonderful, diverse group of roasters who bring different perspectives and skills to the table. Should be an interesting year! |
Roaster News
"Coffee crusader" Larry Larson !
Just Coffee wins SILVER as a Winter 2010 Bicycle Friendly Business
Producer News
CECOCAFEN'S GMAS Project: 11 years and going strong!
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In the wake of Hurricane Mitch, which devastated communities across Central America (and Nicaragua in particular) in 1998, GMAS ("Group of Women Saving in Solidarity") was founded to support recovery. Now, nearly 11 years later, the program is comprised of over 70 groups of women who invest in a solidarity savings fund that provides micro-credits for fellow members. Recently, Larry's Beans visited CECOCAFEN and learned about their campaign to screen women for breast cancer. This project has been a tremendous success thus far and continues to diversify its functions and strengthen the community. |
New Sumatran coffee has arrived!
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In November, Coop Coffees visited several coops in the Aceh province of Sumatra to learn more about the smaller, less-well-known farmer groups who are working hard to produce Fair Trade and organic coffees. After the visit, we signed contracts with APKO -- a group that was organized in 2007 and now has approximately 800 members. We are very excited to announce that the first container has arrived with high scores and a very promising flavor profile! |
Travel: Where in the world is Coop Coffees?
Higher Grounds supports education in the cradle of civilization
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The latest in the Fair Trade movement
Ben and Jerry's commits to going fully Fair Trade by 2013
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Ben and Jerry's -- which is owned by the multinational Unilever -- recently announced that they'll be converting their entire flavor profile to Fair Trade, sourcing all available FT certified products that are in their 120 flavors. Despite the good that this could mean for increasing both volumes of and awareness around Fair Trade, it also prompts an ongoing concern in "mainstreaming the movement." While FLO aggressively campaigns for multinationals and corporate giants like Unilever, announcements such as the elimination of the FT minimum price for sugar in the most recent FLO sugar criteria, rekindle the debate in Fair Trade circles on how far we must compromise our values in the hopes of securing greater volumes in the Fair Trade marketplace? Watch this short BBC interview with Ben and Jerry to learn more... |
Early-bird registration for FT Futures Conference!
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Don't forget to sign up for this year's largest convergence of Fair Trade promoters, activists, and friends. The FT Futures Conference is scheduled for September 10-12, 2010 and will take place in Boston, MA. Join hundreds of others in what is sure to be a memorable and productive event. Many of the workshop titles and speakers have been announced. Check out the website for more info... Early bird registration ends March 31st! Register here... |
