Kerri Goodman-Small & Miles Small
The View by Miles Small, Editor- CoffeeTalk Magazine
O
nce again, CoffeeTalk is proud to host our annual E-Zine “Making a Difference” that highlight groups and individuals who are rising above day-to-day business considerations and giving back to coffee through volunteerism and good works. Turning the spotlight toward those who walk the extra mile for all of us is one of the most gratifying things we do here at CoffeeTalk. All of the non-profits highlighted in this E-Zine are looking for your financial, in-kind, and volunteer support to continue their positive missions in the coffeelands. We are living through difficult economic times, there is no doubt. The world economy is starting to show signs of recovery but it is a slow process. Much of the wealth in developed countries was an illusion and, when the bubble finally burst, this false wealth quickly evaporated. The global recession is most felt in the less developed countries that rely on consuming countries to purchase their exports. Coffee is just such a product. However, we cannot ignore our responsibilities to all the partners in the coffee supply chain. Give back somehow, even if you cannot donate cash! Volunteer, donate airline miles, and donate materials.
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Being ready to step forward and lend a hand when you see a need, regardless of the inconvenience or cost, is part of what sets our industry apart from others. Regardless of political or spiritual beliefs, we all seem to understand that there are things all of us can do to support our business partners in the coffeelands. Now is
the time to act. Even if you decide to start paying more for coffee. As humans, we build our relationships with others in our world through associations that bring about positive or gratifying benefits to our families and ourselves. The inverse of that is that we fall into greater isolation and distance from the human mainstream when our associations block success and well-being. Frustrating, inadequate, and inaccessible services and benefits such as low quality healthcare, low economic opportunity, inadequate diet, inaccessible schooling, repressive government practices, healthful and plentiful water supply, political violence and uncertainty, and others all lead to isolation, fear, the “oppression of poverty,” and disenfranchisement from the greater society. All of the non-profits showcased in this edition are, in some way, striving to ease these challenges to the coffee communities. An interesting observation from these articles is that these groups are not just serving the coffee workers, but the broader communities that support coffee. Gregory Clark, in his often profound book on historical economics, A Farewell to Alms (Princeton University Press; 2007) proposes that charity is only part of the equation and failed (and even increased poverty and misery) when not matched with rising wealth and economic wellbeing. Sustainable change must have, as an essential element profound changes in the business model between consuming countries and producing countries. Economic July 2011
well-being changes all aspects of life. Although coffee prices are high currently, the costs of production, food, services, and health care in the coffeelands continue to outpace farmers’ returns. The coffee world is poised on the brink on another coffee crisis. We know all too well, what the implications are when the price for coffee does not justify the effort of growing coffee. Farms are abandoned, communities whither, and the supply of quality coffees drops. We simply cannot allow that to happen again to our farming partners. Please enjoy reading about the efforts of these organizations to make a difference in our world, and in the meantime think about what you can do to help them out, as well as make a difference in your own family, your community, or globally. This year, CoffeeTalk is once again tracking every click-thru to these projects’ websites between now and September 15th of 2011. The project that receives the most web views will win a $1000 cash donation from CoffeeTalk. So, vote with your heart and with your computer mouse.
Kerri presenting the $1000 prize to Myra Fiori for the “Ernesto Illy Espresso Coffee Quality Award”
Contents
2 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38
The View - By Miles Small, Editor- CoffeeTalk Magazine Sponsor’s Index International Women’s Coffee Alliance Cup of Excellence EAFCA - CFC/ICO/EU Project for Building Capacity for Certification and Verification in EAFCA Countries Fair Trade USA Coffee Farmer Support Grounds for Health – Cervical Cancer Prevention in Coffee-Growing Communities Coffee Quality Institute – Coffee Corps™ Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung Initiative for Coffee & Climate illy caffe The Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize Olopa Challenge 4C Association – The 4C Association: Uniting efforts to meet sustainability challenges in the coffee sector Rainforest Alliance – Climate Module: Criteria for the Mitigation of and Adaptation to Climate Change Asociacion Dominicana Mujeres en Café – Women to women training Radio Lifeline, Inc – Coffee Lifeline Project AMAZONAS – Central de Cafetaleros Yaneshas Coffee Kids
4 July 2011
速
Contents
40 42 44 46 48
IWCA International Convention Scholarships The Coffee Trust – Project Ixil Growers First The Polus Center for Social & Economic Development, Inc. – Coffeelands Trust World Gifts Café Unión MicroFinanza – Microloan Coffee and Microlots
Who We are Owners CEO/Publisher/Advertising Director Kerri Goodman-Small, ext 1 206.795.4471 kerri@coffeetalk.com Editor-in-Chief Miles Small, ext 2 miles@coffeetalk.com
Design
Print Design Marcus Fellbaum, ext 5 marcus@coffeetalk.com Web Design Justin Goodman, ext 6 justin@coffeetalk.com
Administrative
Administrative Director, Accounting, Subscriptions Claire Vallin, ext 4 claire@coffeetalk.com Future Administrative Director, Accounting, Subscriptions Ashley Prentice ashley@coffeetalk.com
Mailing Info
Mail: HNCT, LLC, 25525 77th Ave SW Vashon, WA 98070 Phone: 206.686.7378 Fax: 866.373.0392 Web: www.coffeetalk.com
Disclaimer CoffeeTalk does not assume the responsibility for validity of claims made for advertised products and services. We reserve the right to reject any advertising. Although we support copyrights and 6
trademarks, we generally do not include copyright and trademark symbols in our news stories and columns. Circulation: CoffeeTalk (ISSN 1084-2551) is mailed monthly (10 times per year) with combined June/July and November/December issues, also bonus mailing/distribution for Education Guides and foodservice/hospitality and coffee conventions/shows throughout the year. Postmaster: Send address changes to HNCT, LLC, 25525 77th Ave SW, Vashon, WA 98070 Subscription: The cost of a subscription in the U.S. is $47.50 per year; in Canada, the cost is $72.00. Free to qualified industry professionals. Non-qualified requests may be rejected. Publisher reserves the right to limit the number of free subscriptions. For subscription inquiries, please call 206.686.7378 x1 or subscribe online at www.CoffeeTalk.com. Copyright © 2011, HNCT, LLC, All Rights Reserved
July 2011
Sponsors Index
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Company
Phone Web
Page
3Gorillas.com
877.903.3257 www.3gorillas.com/coffeetalk
43
Biodegradable Food Service
541.593.2191
29
BriteVision
877.479.7777 www.britevision.com
7
ChefTec/Culinary Software Services, Inc.
303.447.3334
www.culinarysoftware.com
37
Coffee Holding Company
800.458.2233
www.coffeeholding.com
13
Display Cafe Ltd.
905.799.8197
www.innovatedproductsmfg.com
45
Ditting USA, Inc.
810.367.7125
www.ditting.com
39
Fres-co System USA, Inc.
215.721.4600
www.fresco.com
9
Gavi単a Gourmet Coffee
800.428.4627
www.gavina.com
23
illy
877.455.9347 www.illy.com
25
Inbru
314.991.1700 www.inbru.com
27
IWCA
877.348.9100 www.womenincoffee.org
41
Java Jacket
800.208.4128
21
KoffeeLink
703.774.5436 www.koffeelink.com
33
LBP Manufacturing
800.545.6200
www.lbpmfg.com
15
Melitta SystemService USA, Inc.
888.635.4882
www.melittasystemservice.com
11
Pack Plus Converting
909.902.9929
www.packplus.com
35
Roaster Authority
727.546.4797
www.roasterauthority.com
49
Scolari Engineering S.p.A.
856.988.5533
www.scolarieng.com
3
SmartCup, Inc.
530.889.1754
www.mysmartcup.com
19
Splenda
912.651.5012
www.dcbrands.com
47
Stalkmarket Products (Asean Corporation)
503.295.4977
www.stalkmarketproducts.com
5
Umpqua Oats
877.303.8107
www.umpquaoats.com
51
Vessel Drinkware
866.876.8282
www.vesseldrinkware.com
17
Weldon Flavorings
502.797.2937
www.WeldonFlavorings.com
31
www.earth-to-go.com
www.javajacket.com
July 2011
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Since 1998 Fres-co has proudly supported the Coffee Kids Organization. Helping create programs in education, health awareness, micro credit, food security and capacity building in coffee-farming communities in Latin America. If you would like to make a difference, go to www.coffeekids.org/youcanhelp/
IWCA
International Women’s Coffee Alliance Contact Name: Web Site: Project Name: Location:
Judith Ganes Chase www.womenincoffee.org International Women’s Coffee Alliance Global
Who benefits from this project?
Project Description
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The IWCA is a peer-to-peer volunteer network of women (and men) dedicated to empowering and enriching the lives of women in the coffee industry along the entire supply chain through collaboration, education, training, workshops, fundraising and sponsorship opportunities. The mission is to empower women in the international coffee community to achieve meaningful and sustainable lives; and to encourage and recognize the participation of women in all aspects of the supply chain. Since 2003 IWCA has been actively working to raise the status of women in coffee throughout the world through networking events at industry conferences but also by providing funding for international grants for projects at origin and international IWCA conferences and workshops that give women from the various IWCA chapters around the world and opportunity to network, develop skills, and feel connected to their coffee “sisters” around the globe, a key step in gaining empowerment and confidence in themselves, their livelihoods, and their dreams for themselves, their families, and their communities. The organization continues to expand it’s global reach through the development of Chapters in coffee producing and consuming countries. The local Chapters are legal associations with their own boards and decision making on which projects are vital to the members of that Chapter since the needs and priorities of women throughout different countries and regions around the globe can vary considerably. The Women in Coffee website now showcases the activities of the Chapter members and projects providing a further connection and stimulating meaningful connections.
Women throughout the coffee supply chain have already benefited from the endeavors of the IWCA but the mission is continue to expand our global reach and build on the hard work and perserverence of the various Chapters. The plight of women, especially those in producer countries, where there is often poverty, gender bias and limited opportunities for the education and development of leadership skills, will all benefit from the work of dedicated volunteers that understand the importance
and profound difference they can have in helping women achieve more meaningful and sustainable lives. In helping the women, their families and their communities benefit
How can I help? The IWCA is need of funds through donations or sponsorships for additional projects but volunteers are also needed for the various committees that help to make the activities of the IWCA a success.
July 2011
Alliance for Coffee Excellence
Cup of Excellence Contact Name: Web Site: Project Name: Location:
Susie Spindler www.cupofexcellence.org Cup of Excellence Missoula, MT a producing country understand and improve their quality as well as solve many of the issues that constantly face the coffee industry.
Project Description What is Cup of Excellence®? Cup of Excellence® is the premier coffee competition and auction worldwide! It is also the highest award given to a top scoring coffee. The level of scrutiny that Cup of Excellence coffees undergo is unmatched. All of the Cup of Excellence award winners are cupped at least 5 times (the top ten are cupped again) during the three-week process. Literally hundreds of cups are smelled, tasted and scored based on their exemplary characteristics. The competition has uncovered thousands of farms that previously were completely unknown. COE is a competition for individual coffees and it is completely transparent. The Cup of Excellence program is designed to allow any farmer in the participating country to submit one sample without a fee. It is one of the first programs to truly level the playing field for premiums and still does its best to support equal access and success for all farmers regardless of financial status. The program focuses on training cuppers at origin who form a team of experts willing and able to help the exporters, the cooperatives and the farmers in
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The spill-over from the competition process has contributed enormously to the quality of coffee available globally as well as to our understanding of what variables affect this quality. Every winning lot has detailed farm information on the website which can be accessed by members at any time. This has contributed to the global surge in relationship coffees and in roasters and farmers working together to produce a sustainable product. The farm information has also been used to help market the coffees thus enticing thousands of consumers to begin asking positive questions about top coffees and to appreciate the stories behind the growers.
opened up the consumer to trying more and different coffees than was the case 12 years ago when it started. Quality control technicians in the producing countries and cuppers in the marketplace have used the Cup of Excellence competition protocols to uncover the value of the coffees they are buying. The focus on selection and protection of quality help deliver better coffee to an increasingly demanding consumer- who in turn will remain a loyal customer willing to pay the necessary premiums for a sustainable industry. The producing country that organizes and supports a Cup of Excellence sees higher overall premiums and increased export revenues due to increased quality, increased direct trade but above all an infrastructure that has been developed to support exemplary coffees and the farmers that produce them.
How can I help?
Who benefits from this project?
Cup of Excellence has created a much more transparent infrastructure for high quality coffee. Roasters can now identify, find and build relationships with high quality farmers. It brings together the high quality roaster and the high quality farmer and helps both understand and appreciate the nuances and flavor profiles of rare exemplary coffees. Farmers no longer have to wonder what their coffees are worth and are given the credit they deserve for hard work. It has changed the pricing structure for farmers and has discovered many of the incredible coffees that have built consumer excitement and loyalty. Marketing a coffee as an ‘award winner’ is an easy message for the consumer to understand and so has July 2011
Cup of Excellence would enjoy a company sponsorship for consumer PR and marketing- to entice consumers to pay the prices these coffees deserve. It needs quality control equipment for the origins. Top-level sponsorships from the industry would go a long way to offset the producing country’s competition costs. (Hotels, auditors etc)
EAFCA
CFC/ICO/EU Project for Building Capacity for Certification and Verification in EAFCA Countries
Contact: Web Site: Location:
Project Description
Martin Maraka www.eafca.org Africa
One of the major impediments for producers in Africa to adopt certification and/ or verification in coffee practices is the cost of certification. What exacerbates this scenario is the lack of local capacity to guide prospects of coffee certification in compliance procedures of the myriad certification schemes currently prevalent in coffee producing regions. Over the last few years a number of certification schemes for coffee have come to prominence with varied emphasis on aspects of social, economic and environmental benefits of certification. Much hope has been pinned on these sustainable coffee initiatives. However, the proliferation of these initiatives is not commensurate with the capacity to help farmers handle the compliance requirements when so needed. As a consequent, access to available expertise has proven to be inhibitively expensive for most small scale producers. Against this background, the CFC/ICO/EU Project intervention of
enhancing capacity in the Eastern African Fine Coffees (EAFCA) region is timely as it will lower certification costs through building local capacity. The overall project goal is to increase the value and volume of the coffee produced in Africa through certification program and provision of sustainable access to markets. The project objective is to improve the skills of farmers to meet certification standards. Farmers who receive training and skills in good agricultural and sustainability practices will be better equipped to produce socially acceptable, environmentally friendly and economically successful coffee and can better meet certification and verification standards.
Who Benefits from this project? The target project beneficiaries are 6030 farmers and professionals. Training will be
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delivered to 5858 farmers and 172 professionals by the end of year five. The categories of these beneficiaries are farmers, master trainers, trainer-of-trainers and auditors (certifiers).
How can I help? Everyone is welcome to visit www.eafca. org/our%20services/index.asp our project website. Incase of any questions as regards the project, please feel free to contact the Project Manager at filtone.sandando@ eafca.org It is expedient to note that certification is an important tool for market access, improved better terms of trade, market sustainability and environmental sustainability. Coffee producers are herewith encouraged to venture on the certification/verification route. It is the way to go!
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Fair Trade USA
Coffee Farmer Support Contact Name: Rachel Lee Holstein Web Site: www.fairtradeusa.org Project Name: Coffee Farmer Support Location: Oakland, CA; Asia; Africa; Latin America It’s inspiring to see that consumer awareness of the Fair Trade Certified label has more than quadrupled since 2005 alone.
Project Description Fair Trade USA is a non-profit organization doing work across the globe to lift millions of people out of poverty through a market-based approach. Our mission is to enable sustainable development and community empowerment by cultivating a more equitable global trade model that benefits farmers, workers, consumers, industry, and the earth. Fair Trade USA is the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States; coffee, tea and cocoa being some of the most well known. With a staff of 53 fulltime employees based in Oakland, CA, we are committed to raising consumer awareness of Fair Trade in the U.S. and supporting producers’ entrepreneurial efforts worldwide. Thanks to Fair Trade USA’s efforts and the partnership of the coffee industry and caring consumers, farmers in the developing world have earned over $220 million in additional income from the U.S. Fair Trade market.
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Building the U.S. Movement: We are helping to build a nationwide grassroots movement of conscientious consumers through the Fair Trade Towns and Fair Trade Universities campaigns. Volunteer organizers and students receive mentorship, guidance, and educational materials from Fair Trade USA to run campaigns in their towns and on their campuses. More than 60 campaigns are currently under way, helping contribute to growing awareness of Fair Trade across the United States.
Supporting Farmers: Fair Trade USA supports farmers at all levels – from recruitment into the Fair Trade cooperative system to providing the training and business savvy necessary for them to succeed as smallholder producers in international markets. We take a unique approach to working with communities. We don’t fix the problems of bad roads or poor equipment – Fair Trade USA’s staff provides the training and support that cooperatives need to develop, fund, and put into action their own solutions. Then we help con-
Who benefits from this project? Fair Trade USA serves over 1.2 million producer families from 70 countries across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Many coffee farming communities face daunting obstacles to earning a decent living: climate change and drought, bad roads, outdated or no coffee processing equipment, and low yields. Most live in rural areas, isolated by lack of information or connection to markets. Our staff is currently leading targeted technical assistance and training programs for coffee farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil. In Brazil alone, coffee producers have seen a 12:1 return on their involvement with Fair Trade USA’s staff and programs. In Kenya, a cooperative chairman says “Our cooperative was in darkness, but we now see the light. After the learning we have received, I have one question: How did we survive without this knowledge?”
How can I help?
nect them to the global Fair Trade market where consumers buy their coffee. With your support, Fair Trade USA can give farmers and workers an exceptional chance – not only to survive – but to provide for their entire communities: schools, electricity, paved roads, clean drinking water. Increasing the Supply Chain: Every year Fair Trade USA recruits new producers into the Fair Trade system in order to benefit more farming communities and to supply U.S. companies like yours with a stable and growing supply of sustainably sourced coffee. We help producers improve coffee yield and quality, gain better access to pre-harvest and long-term credit, and put better financial and cooperative selfmanagement practices into place. July 2011
For more information about Fair Trade USA’s projects, to find out where to buy Fair Trade products, or to make an online donation, visit www.fairtradeusa.org. If you would like to join a Fair Trade Towns USA campaign or attend an event near you, check out www.fairtradetownsusa.org. Donate: Every $1 you donate to Fair Trade USA generates $5 in additional income for farmers. Buy: Buying coffee on Fair Trade terms changes the lives of farming families and protects the planet. Ask: Does your community have a Fair Trade Towns or Universities campaign you can join?
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Grounds for Health
Contact Name: Web Site: Project Name: Location:
Justin Mool www.groundsforhealth.org Cervical Cancer Prevention in Coffee-Growing Communities Waterbury, VT; Central America; Tanzania
Project Description The coffee industry is poised to have a meaningful impact on a major global health issue. Grounds for Health, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, cultivates partnerships with coffee-farming communities to reduce the unacceptably high rate of cervical cancer in low-resource settings. Since its founding in 1996, it has been the generous support of the Specialty Coffee Industry that has made its work and success possible. Grounds for Health focuses on developing effective, affordable, and sustainable prevention programs with the long-term goal of reducing unnecessary deaths from cervical cancer. Since its founding in 1996 it has provided direct services to over 20,000 women, has trained 250 doctors and nurses, and has educated more than 400 health promoters in three countries. Though cervical cancer has been brought under control in most western countries, it remains the #1 cause of cancer
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Cervical Cancer Prevention in Coffee-Growing Communities
death of women in developing regions, despite the fact that it is 100% preventable when detected early. Women in these areas are no more susceptible to the disease than women in more developed countries; they simply do not have access to adequate prevention services. Grounds for Health specializes in training local health professionals in an affordable, replicable and sustainable screening and treating method called the Single Visit Approach. Using this method, it costs just 25¢ in materials to screen and treat a woman for cervical cancer, making it affordable in virtually any setting. Through training and community education, Grounds for Health creates the potential to exponentially increase its reach: local doctors and nurses can provide services in local health centers and teach the methods to new health care providers. The coffee industry has taken notice of Grounds for Health’s success. In April, at the Specialty Coffee Event in Houston, Texas, the organization received the 2011 Sustainability Award, a yearly prize that honors exemplary non-profits that work within the coffee industry. Then in June, importers, producers, roasters and retailers all came together to help raise over $140,000 for the non-profit during the annual Grounds for Health Coffee Auction. Continued support from the coffee industry will ensure Grounds for Health can reach even more women in coffee-growing communities. While Grounds for Health currently works in Mexico, Nicaragua, and Tanzania, many more coffee cooperatives have approached the organization about bringing campaigns to their communities. Through strategic growth funded by progressive coffee companies, Grounds July 2011
for Health hopes to meet the demand from countries such as Peru, Colombia, El Salvador, Rwanda and Ethiopia. Together with Grounds for Health, the coffee industry is making life better for coffee farming families at origin.
Who benefits from this project? Grounds for Health’s programs benefit women in coffee, their families and their communities. Cervical cancer affects women in the prime of life, ages 40-50s, earlier than many other cancers. In many countries, such as Nicaragua, it is the leading cause of death for women of reproductive age, surpassing maternal mortality figures. When a mother dies, it impacts the health and well-being of her whole family and the entire community. Children who lose a mother are more likely to die in infancy, to be malnourished, receive less emotional care and leave school sooner. Their future is compromised. Many families also lose their main means of economic support as more and more households are headed by women, and communities lose seasoned communities leaders. And of course the coffee industry loses productive workers. Saving women’s lives from this preventable disease has far reaching impact.
How can I help? Cash donations, Facebook followers, E-news subscribers to help spread the word about cervical cancer in coffeegrowing areas.
Coffee Quality Institute
Coffee Corps™ Contact Name: Web Site: Project Name: Location:
Project Description
Lisa Conway www.coffeeinstitute.org Coffee Corps Global
Coffee Corps™, a program of the non-profit Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), is a unique private-public partnership that matches coffee industry experts with farmers and associations at origin seeking technical assistance. Since its inception in 2003, CQI has deployed 170 individuals on over 200 assignments in 28 coffee producing countries. This program enables us to assist coffee producers and related businesses to overcome challenges and address barriers to efficient and equitable trade at each link in the supply chain. Coffee Corps™ volunteers are skilled coffee professionals who donate their time and expertise to provide training to improve coffee quality as well as the lives of the people who produce it. These dedicated individuals help growers, co-ops, and coffee organizations: improve their production and processing methods; cup their coffee against international standards and: train roasters, packagers, exporters, baristas and café owners about quality control processes. In a campaign to revitalize this volunteer program and help the specialty coffee industry meet current and future challenges, CQI invites interested coffee experts to fill out an online application to volunteer for an assignment. During this time, we also will reach out to former volunteers, colleagues and friends who have contributed to the success of this program to ensure contact and utilize their expertise. Desirable volunteer qualifications include in-depth knowledge of the specialty coffee industry, including cupping and quality assessment, roasting, production and processing, quality control, barista skills, coffee lab development, and agronomic and environmental knowledge. Volunteers are also needed in strategic planning, business solutions, and marketing. As the worldwide demand for specialty coffee exceeds
supply, CQI foresees strong continued industry participation in this program and hopes to offer an increased amount and diversity of technical assistance available to coffee producers and other players in the supply chain.
Who benefits from this project? CQI’s Coffee Corps™ program benefits small and medium-sized coffee producers and producer organizations, including co-ops and regional grower organizations. The Coffee Corps™ program also benefits such national coffee organizations as the Ugandan Coffee Development Authority and Ethiopia’s ECX, as well as Specialty Coffee Associations, such as the Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia. Historically, Coffee Corps™ volunteers have worked mostly with Arabica coffee. CQI has now begun work to address the structural issues that affect Robusta producers and the quality of their product, since we believe there is an opportunity for these producers to provide an increasingly better quality product and raise the overall value for this often underappreciated product.
20 July 2011
Coffee Corps™ volunteers personally benefit from the relationships formed and the knowledge gained during the course of their Coffee Corps™ assignment. Chris Davidson, Trader and Relationship Coffee Specialist at Atlas Coffee, reports, “The week I spent in Medellin (as a Coffee Corps™ volunteer) training cuppers at Almacafe’s mill was extremely productive and inspiring. The amount of effort CQI has invested in developing coffee professionals in Colombia is impressive, and I’m excited to see how the industry continues to develop as a result.” A volunteers experience at origin is invaluable in forming lasting friendships and successful business relationships.
How can I help? In order to sustain the success of the Coffee Corps™ program, CQI requests that all interested volunteers stay in contact and make sure that their volunteer profile is up-to-date in our volunteer database. As CQI manages requests for assistance and works with international funding partners, a dynamic, qualified base of coffee professionals is needed to ensure continued success of the program.
Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung
Initiative for Coffee & Climate Contact Name: Mika Adler Web Site: www.coffeeandclimate.org Project Name: Initiative for Coffee & Climate Location: Santo Antonio do Amparo, Minas Gerais- Brazil; Guatemala; Tanzania; Vietnam
Project Description
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The echo of the Climate Change Conference in Cancún is still sounding in our ears: there is no agreement following up the Kyoto Protocol supporting the efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions by carbon credits yet. And despite various speculations on the consequences of this, one thing remains clear: climate change is happening. This is why we have founded the initiative for Coffee & Climate. In the coffee sector, impacts of climate change have already been observed. The forecasted climate scenarios will have a considerable impact on the production and consequently might endanger tomorrow’s supply of the popular bean. In order to understand farmers’ perception on climate change, we developed a questionnaire and asked producers in Brazil, Guatemala, Uganda, Tanzania and Vietnam about any changes they may have seen in temperature, precipitation, yields, pests and diseases. The results made clear that climate change is real and affecting farmers now. Current growing regions might no longer be suitable since they are highly vulnerable against the effects of climate change. Stress factors such as extended drought periods and heavy rains can restrict plant growth and reduce production. Although climate changes are affecting the entire coffee sector, in particular smallholder farmers are the very ones directly experiencing the effects of weather and climate on coffee every day of the year. Having to deal with limited resources, small coffee farmers are the ones with the least adaptive capacity to cope with such changes. In many places their working environment is characterized by significant structural inefficiencies resulting in a lack of access to know-how and means of financing. Without adequate information on the likely implications for agricultural activities and possible solutions, the
livelihoods of many thousand farmers and their families are at risk. The initiative for Coffee & Climate is a development partnership with the private sector within the BMZ -program www.develoPPP.de. It was initiated by the companies Gustav Paulig Ltd, Joh. Johannson Kaffe AS, Löfbergs Lila AB, Neumann Gruppe GmbH, Tchibo GmbH and Fondazione Giuseppe e Pericle Lavazza Onlus together
climate change in order to avoid imbalance between demand and supply.
with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The initiative collaborates with further important partners such as the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International (CABI), the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). The initiative is pre-competitive, open to include further dedicated parties. Putting up their joint efforts, the partners have identified climate change as a key challenge for the coffee sector. They are interested in promoting sustainable and pragmatic practices in the worldwide coffee production, initiating a global and sector wide strategic partnership on
How can I help?
July 2011
Who benefits from this project? The project aims at enabling smallholder coffee farmers to effectively respond to changing climatic conditions. Farmers, cooperatives and extensionists need a wide range of techniques, ideas and methods to help them adapt to climate change. Assembling best practices for climate change adaptation and mitigation into a global toolbox, the project combines farmer know-how with state of the art climate change science and builds upon experiences gained within other relevant projects such as AdapCC. Pilot projects in four key coffee regions (Brazil, Guatemala, Tanzania and Vietnam) are designed to test the toolbox in the field and to develop appropriate training schemes for farmers and service providers. Stakeholders within the pilot projects are participating in capacity building activities, enabling them to apply effective strategies in order to respond to climate change. At least 3.000 farmers are trained directly by the project in order to meet these new challenges. Furthermore, stakeholders along green coffee supply chains can utilize the toolbox for developing and applying best adaptation and mitigation practices.
Please visit our website (www.coffeeandclimate.org) and contact our Hamburg office to obtain more information on the initiative. We appreciate and encourage constructive feedback as well as the promotion and utilization of our toolbox.
illy caffe
The Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize Contact: Web Site: Location:
Project Description
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Laura Bachrach www.illy.com Trieste- Italy
The Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize was founded in 2005 to bring recognition and distinction to the emerging and developing world’s most eminent scientists and their groundbreaking work with global implications, and to encourage budding great minds in emerging nations to pursue careers in science. The Prize, jointly presented by TWAS – The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World – and by illycaffè, is dedicated to Trieste, the northeast Italy city that has made significant contributions to science in the developing world, and is home to both TWAS and illycaffè. It is named for Dr. Ernesto Illy, the late, coffee industry visionary and beloved longtime Chairman of illycaffè, whose eponymous foundation funds the Prize’s $100,000 (USD) award, presented annually to one renowned researcher, or shared by co-winners. The Prize emblemizes and unites two of Dr. Illy’s passions: the power of science to advance not just his industry but the global community; and a deep feeling for the people who tirelessly nurture coffee and other forms of agriculture in the developing world. Dr. Illy’s pioneering work in Brazil was critical in transforming the country’s reputation from high-volume supplier to high-quality producer, pioneering new growing regions within the country and raising standards of living for coffee producers, their families and their communities. The Prize is currently in a four-year cycle of recognizing work in sustainability science. The 2009 Prize was given jointly to a pair or researchers doing pioneering work in climate change, India’s Pramoud Kumar Aggarwal, and Brazil’s Carlos Clemente. The 2010 Prize went to José Goldemberg, the Brazilian energy expert who laid the groundwork for Brazil’s highly regarded biofuels program, rooted in work dating to the 1970s, and who became a leading advocate for “leapfrog” technologies to promote responsible economic growth in developing countries. Today, Brazil produces 30 billion liters of sugar-based ethanol every year, replacing 50 percent of the petroleum that would otherwise be used. Materials science and human health with be the foci, respectively,
in 2011 and 2012. The original four-year cycle (2005-2008) recognized outstanding achievements in basic sciences. Candidates must be nationals of emerging and developing countries, working and living in the Southern Hemisphere, conducting research at institutions in developing countries. Nominations come from TWAS members, select individuals, science academies, national research councils and universities. Nominations of women scientists are particularly encouraged.
Who Benefits from this project? Beneficiaries are far-reaching, spanning the globe. On a primary level, the scientific communities within emerging and developing nations benefit through the kind of recognition and financial support that, in turn, generates additional, vital attention and funding for their and their universities’ and other affiliated institutions’ work. At the same time, young researchers and
students in these nations are motivated to pursue their work and study with a greater sense of purpose, growing and sustaining their countries’ scientific communities – critical for ongoing economic and social development, reaching from remote villages to fast-growing urban areas. By providing means to further award recipients’ vital work and motivate their successors, the world benefits through the far-reaching, practical implications of their research. For example, there is no question that Dr. Goldemberg’s work in Brazil has made a tangible difference in reducing (or stemming the growth of) greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
How can I help? Cash donations (to grow prize and potentially fund additional winners) • Additional publicity (to grow nominations and potential cooperative/incremental funding)
Anna Illy and Goldemberg July 2011
“Coffee prompts social activity, stimulates friendships and conversations, and it should never be enjoyed alone. You should always share it with someone.”
Ernesto Illy
The Ernesto Illy Foundation’s programs include: degree in Coffee Economics and Science. • Masters • Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize in collaboration with The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS). Computational Toxicology research in collaboration with the International School for Advanced • Studies of Trieste (Sissa). A research, preservation and development project of the native coffee plant in Ethiopia. • A pilot project in Colombia to introduce beekeeping and honey production in coffee plantations • as a new source of income and environmental sustainability. Visit http://www.fondazionernestoilly.org to learn more.
i l ly . c o m
IWCA Guatemala
The Olopa Challenge Name: Email: Company: Location:
Lorena Calvo info@mujerescafeguatemala.org Women In Coffee Guatemala Olopa, Chiquimula, Guatemala City- Guatemala
Project Description
This project focuses on helping women that produce coffee in Olopa, Chiquimula, Guatemala. The Association of Women in Coffee Guatemala, has 39 members that actively participate in all our programs. The project’s main objective is to improve women’s capacity in producing quality coffees and increasing their opportunities for sustainable lives. At the moment our main focus is Olopa. In this town, there are 1,863 women of which 1,500 are small coffee growers. 197 Hectares of the territory contain coffee plantations, which produce around 11,200 qq/p per year. Even though coffee is one of the main activities, the sector has poor coffee plantations, and the production gets reduced each year. Our model project of women helping other women, comprises working together with Olopa’s Leadership Women Association, the Regional Agricultural Development Association, and Agrodes to educate the women and train them in the best and most rewarding methods to produce coffee.
Through training, technical assistance, and support the women will be able to achieve not only higher quality coffee, but also higher sustainable productivity. Ultimately, they will be able to maintain their children by providing them with food and education, which is scarce for many of these families.
How can I help?
The best way to help us is by donations. The project needs a lot of resources to fund the training program, materials, technical assistance etc.
Who Benefits from this project? The main beneficiaries of this project are the women in the town of Olopa, Guatemala whose daily activities involve the growth and production of coffee.
!"
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The 4C Association: Uniting efforts to meet sustainability challenges in the coffee sector
4C Association
Contact Name: Web Site: Project Name: Location:
Verónica Pérez-Sueiro www.4c-coffeeassociation.org The 4C Association: Uniting efforts to meet sustainability challenges in the coffee sector Bonn- Germany
Project Description The 4C Association was initiated in response to the so called “international coffee crisis” in 2001. Back then, an oversupply of coffee led to the plummeting of international coffee prices, pushing millions of coffee farmers into poverty. The different stakeholders in the coffee sector came together to jointly discuss and find solutions for supporting farmers in becoming more sustainable in their production and processing practices. Since the launch of the Common Code for the Coffee Community Project in 2003, the 4C System has come a long way. Reaching agreement on a baseline standard for sustainability by the different actors in the coffee sector was an important early milestone, followed by the formal establishment of the 4C Association at the end 2006. The association has now successfully built a network to train producers in the application of the 4C baseline standard, set up a verification system, and broadened its network of members and partners. There are 133 members to date (as of June 2011) including international coffee roasters such as Nestlé and Kraft Foods Global, traders such as VOLCAFE and farmer organizations such as the Colombian Coffee Growers Association. International NGOs such as OXFAM Novib and individual members dedicated to the advancement of sustainable practices also form the membership. Today’s coffee market looks
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considerably different from a decade ago. There are new challenges such as tight supply and high demand on the market causing a significant rise in coffee prices. Coffee farmers now face issues such as climate change, lack of attractiveness of
the risk of back and shoulder injuries among coffee harvesters. Find out more on the 4C Association and its activities at www.4c-coffeeassociation.org
Who benefits from this project?
coffee growing for the youth, old coffee trees and lack of access to financing, to name but a few. There are no easy answers to such challenges. What is clear is that when many minds are willing to cooperate, finding realistic solutions becomes easier. As such the 4C Association regularly organizes Sustainability Forums in the coffee regions to address key challenges of the sector. Today there are over 70,000 farmers and other business partners in the 4C System. Implementing the 4C Code provides a firm basis from which farmers can step up to more demanding certification standards such as Rainforest Alliance certification. Roaster members of the 4C Association on their part are committed to purchasing increasing amounts of coffee produced in the 4C System and thus benefit farmers in their journey towards more sustainable practices. The 4C Association also actively seeks out synergies with other organisations to address coffee sector challenges. For example, the 4C Association is currently engaged in the Sangana PPP Project on Climate Change in Kenya. The project explores how farmers can become more resilient to climate change and contribute to its mitigation. In Nicaragua, the 4C Association is cooperating with partners to develop a new, user-friendly harvesting bag and create a safer, more productive work environment by reducing July 2011
The 4C Association is about making a difference in the lives of those who make a living from coffee production and trade. Farmers in the 4C System benefit by improving efficiency, increasing their yields, and improving their standards of living - socially, environmentally and economically. Coffee traders and roasters are able to build lasting contacts and ensure a long term supply of coffee from better, more sustainable supply chains. Retailers are thereby able to provide their consumers with a worry free product and meet the increasing demand for sustainably sourced coffee while NGOs can support relevant sustainability projects. All in all, a win-win situation is created for the entire coffee community.
How can I help? Become a member of the 4C Association to contribute to our joint efforts of mainstreaming sustainability. Only through continued collaboration through this multi-stakeholder platform can the Association attain its ambitious goal of achieving sector-wide compliance with at least baseline sustainability criteria in the coming years.
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Climate Module: Criteria for the Mitigation of and Adaptation to Climate Change
Rainforest Alliance
Contact Name: Jeff Hayward, Director, Climate Program Web Site: http://rainforest-alliance.org/newsroom/news/san-climate-module-release Project Name: Climate Module: Criteria for the Mitigation of and Adaptation to Climate Change Location: Global
Project Description
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In February 2011, the Rainforest Alliance and the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) unveiled the new Climate Module: Criteria for the © Rainforest Alliance. In Mitigation of El Salvador, SAN member and Adaptation SalvaNATURA and partners to Climate show farmers how to measure trees, enabling Change. The them to estimate the levels new climate of carbon they contain. module aims Monitoring and increasing carbon stored on farms is a to help farmers key component of climate- better underfriendly farming. stand the impacts of climate change and to promote the adoption of good agricultural practices that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase carbon sequestration and enhance the capacity of farms to adapt to climate change. Farms that meet the SAN standard - the rigorous standards against which farms are audited to achieve Rainforest Alliance certification – can choose whether or not they want to get verified to the climate module: it is completely voluntary. The module consists of a set of 15 additional criteria that reinforce the sustainable SAN practices and highlight those activities that have demonstrated the greatest climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits. “Climate-friendly” farming methods can also result in reductions in production and operating costs, improving a farm’s profitability by reducing energy and water consumption, generating new products from agriculture waste, and ensuring more efficient use of fertilizers. The climate module is a practical and accessible tool for the entire coffee industry. It helps producers to implement climate-friendly agricultural practices and encourages commercial and industrial players to commit to reducing their carbon emissions. The adoption of the climate module helps farmers by improving their
standard of living through increased revenue, improved productivity or improved resilience. Farmers who commit to implementing the SAN climate module will be able to identify the risks that climate change poses to their farms and communities, and prepare to mitigate and adapt to its impacts. They can estimate their varying degrees of vulnerability to events such as prolonged drought and severe flooding -- which are occurring with increasing frequency and intensity -- along with altered growing seasons and more regular outbreaks of agricultural pests and diseases. They will also be able to increase the amount of carbon sequestered on their farms through the restoration of degraded lands, reforestation and improved soil conservation. In addition, recommended practices such as shade cultivation and crop diversification may further increase income and farm diversity and stability. Agriculture is one of the leading causes of climate change, responsible for 14 percent of GHG emissions, mainly as a result of soil erosion, poor irrigation practices, the uncontrolled use of fertilizers and other agrochemicals, biomass burning and livestock production. When deforestation from farmland expansion and tree plantations is factored into calculations, agriculture is estimated to account for 30 percent of total GHG emissions globally.
existing standards that Rainforest Alliance Certified farms meet, the adoption of the climate module helps farmers by improving their standard of living through increased revenue, improved productivity or improved resilience. Tropical producers need the tools and incentives to reduce their GHG footprint and the ability to prepare for and adapt to new changes in their local environment. The climate module aims to provide both.
Who benefits from this project?
• Support (funding or in-kind) to enable Rainforest Alliance to develop a suite of training materials, guidance and tools specific to certain origins and farm types - to help producers prepare for climate change and mitigate its impacts.
Through Rainforest Alliance certification, 1.5 million coffee farmers, farm workers and their families enjoy a better quality of life. Rainforest Alliance certification ensures that all farm workers receive fair wages and live and work under decent and safe conditions. Workers also typically enjoy dignified housing, clean drinking water, access to medical care and education for their children. The climate module addresses the effects of climate change that threaten the world’s coffee farming communities. Changes in weather patterns, altered crop growing seasons and more frequent and extreme conditions all pose potential threats. Building on the July 2011
How can I help? • Coordinate with coffee companies to pilot the module in their supply chain to generate experience and successful examples that can be used to broaden the adoption of the module. • Coffee companies encourage their supply chains to adopt the module. • Coffee companies use the module in conjunction with their other carbon footprinting or life cycle assessment activities, generating valuable data on emissions impacts for their company and the broader industry. • Support (funding or in-kind) for efforts to teach farmers and group managers about the Climate Module .
© Rainforest Alliance. Growing coffee and other traditional agroforestry crops under shade increases carbon storage and helps mitigate climate change.
Asociación Dominicana Mujeres en Café
Women to women training Contact Name: Web Site: Project Name: Location:
Maria Isabel Balbuena mujerescafeyalgomas@gmail.com Women to women training Valdesia Region, Ocoa, Bani, San Cristobal- Domincan Republic
Who benefits from this project?
Project Description This Project is focused in training women that are located in the coffee areas of Ocoa, Bani and San Cristobal in the southwest of the Dominican Republic. The main objective is to train 20 women in coffee production, quality, process and management. This group that we will call “multiplier” will each train 20 women in their communities in those topics to improve women knowledge and empowerment. Project Impact: The total number of women trained will be around 400; those women will have the capacity to improve coffee productivity, improve coffee quality, and increase yield in the process. As a result they will receive more benefits to invest in the family land, community and their organizations.
Beneficiaries of this project are women that are coffee producers in the Dominican Republic. Those women are mainly heads of families who’s livelihood comes directly from coffee production. This project will benefit around 20 women coffee producers that are direct beneficiaries and those 20 women will indirectly benefit 400 other women, their families and their communities. It is important to say that those 20 women selected have the capacity to spread their knowledge to others.
How can I help? This project will be successful with cash donation in order to support the transportation, food, beneficiaries, supplies (reading materials, pencils, computers, data, and others), human resources and volunteers.
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Radio Lifeline, Inc
Coffee Lifeline Project Contact Name: Peter Kettler Web Site: www.coffeelifeline.org Project Name: Coffee Lifeline Project Location: Rwanda
Project Description
The Coffee Lifeline Project is a communications project that provides essential information and educational programming to rural coffee farmers in developing countries as well as their families and the communities in which they live. Utilizing Lifeline Energy’s unique wind-up and solar-powered Lifeline radios, which do not require batteries or electricity, Coffee Lifeline is intended to be an empowering and sustainable initiative that provides farmers with a vital tool as opposed to linking them to a charitable revenue stream which may often come with its own set of goals and limited lifespan. In addition, CoffeeLifeline partners with regional community-based radio stations to produce weekly broadcasts that feature news and information relating to the latest agronomy techniques, current market conditions, cooperative development and sustainability. Each program also contains health education information, such as early-childhood and maternal health, HIV/ AIDS, nutrition, as well as a children’s story corner. Quarterly Monitoring and Evaluation surveys have indicated that these weekly broadcasts have become recognized as the voice of specialty coffee within Rwanda and have also reached
communities in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Burundi. Our broadcast production team makes monthly visits to cooperative offices, washing stations and into the communities themselves to interview farmers and their families to both gauge the effectiveness of the programs and well as solicit suggestions for ways to improve them. The long term goal of Coffee Lifeline is to link farmers around the world through the use of sustainable, self-powered radio technology and the weekly broadcast of a globally transmitted “World Café” program that will offer formerly isolated communities the opportunity to share their technical expertise, environmental wisdom and cultural heritage. Coffee Lifeline was the 2010 recipient of the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Sustainability Award, and is a project of Radio Lifeline, a US 501c3 registered non-profit organization.
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Who Benefits from this project? Although the main focus of the program is coffee farmers, each coffee producing community also benefits from the access to information that can positively affect their health and prosperity. Radio Lifeline recently instituted a sister project to help support the growing pyrethrum farming sector in northern Rwanda. As the majority of the Rwandans are engaged in agricultural activity of some sort, it is estimated that these two programs will benefit more than half of the population. As plans to expand the model into other East African countries continue to develop, the project has the potential to impact several million farmers, their families and their communities.
How can I help? As the project continues to expand and develop, the ability to provide additional radios to newly-formed listening groups is vital to the continued success of the project. Each radio costs approximately $50, which will be shared communally by 10-20 farmers.
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AMAZONAS
Central de Cafetaleros Yaneshas Contact Name: Rianne van der Bom Web Site: www.amazonas.org.pe Project Name: Central de Cafetaleros Yaneshas Location: Villa Rica and Oxapampa, Pasco- Peru
Project Description
Our small Peruvian NGO Amazonas executed the ‘Central de Cafetaleros Yaneshas’ project. This project was designed together with these Peruvian native coffee producers, in order to address the needs of these individual farmers as well as their collective needs. The first focal point is the creation of local base organizations on village level. Each participating village has a board of directors and coordinates all things concerning their own members. This includes things such as handing out loans, collecting loans, coffee quality inspection, organic certification etc. The second step is the second degree association of which all base organizations are a member. This larger organization organizes things such as credits, acquisition of inputs in high quantities, commercialization and exportation of coffee, representation of all members in all sorts of occasions etc. The third step, which actually commenced during the first step, is the improvement of coffee plantations. Through technical assistance, small loans and implementation of new techniques, we’re trying to improve coffee production as a whole, so it becomes a more profitable activity. The fourth step is contact with buyers and organizing the gathering of export quality coffee. An important factor in the gathering of this coffee is the access to pre-financing and access to efficient drying facilities.
Yanesha coffee is grown at high altitude, which gives it a high quality potential, but that same height makes for a colder and wetter climate that makes drying a bit more complicated. Solar dryers and mechanical dryers are what we are after so we can prevent quality loss through climate problems. All this hard work on behalf of the producers and our team at Amazonas is done so that in the end you will be able to enjoy a great cup of Yanesha coffee and our producers can make a fair and honest living!
fertilizers, pruning, new varieties etc.) to make coffee production more profitable. The native language of the Yaneshas is also called Yanesha, and there are an estimated 20,000 people that conform to this ethnic group. Like many other groups, they have been discriminated, or basically ignored by the government for many years. Nowadays, there is more consideration, communal land titles are respected and although a lot more needs to be done, the Yaneshas are themselves trying to improve their quality of live, with or without governmental aid.
Who benefits from this project?
How can I help?
The beneficiaries are Yaneshas coffee producers. The Yaneshas have lived in this region for over 5000 years and their main source of income is low input agriculture, livestock rearing and logging, with low to average technology. The Yanesha coffee producers are adopting new technologies and are incrementing their inputs (organic
36 July 2011
Volunteers that are willing to teach the Yaneshas more about coffee quality and new production and wet processing techniques. Cash donations so we can implement more solar dryers and small wet milling plants. Cash donations so we can implement biodigesters and improved honey water treatment plants to drastically reduce water contamination.
Coffee Kids
Coffee Kids Contact Name: Web Site: Project Name: Location:
Carolyn Fairman www.coffeekids.org Coffee Kids Latin America Cooperative ADESPA in Acatenango, Guatemala
Project Description
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Throughout history, coffee has always been a boom or bust crop, a volatile agricultural commodity. While prices during A child in the APROS boom years are cooperative located in significantly Guatemala. higher than bust years, they are deceptive. Often when prices are high, the cost of production is equally high and farmers are still not earning what they need to survive the year without great sacrifice. Fairtrade and other premiums have helped establish better prices and provide benefits for small farmers, and provided roasters and vendors with the opportunity to pay a fair price for their coffee. Unfortunately, this alone is not sufficient to solve the problem of poverty for small-scale coffee farmers. Fortunately there are many efforts within the coffee industry confronting this problem. Yet, chronic seasonal hunger, when there is no income from coffee, remains a serious problem. If coffee farmers are to liberate themselves from the cycle of poverty, they need to not only improve yields, quality and systems, but also to find ways to put food on the table year-round. This is where Coffee Kids comes in. Coffee Kids was founded in 1988 as a non-profit organization dedicated to helping coffee-farming families improve the quality of their lives. Our work is not related to the production or marketing of coffee, but rather creating sustainable alternatives to coffee that will allow farmers and their families to continue to harvest coffee, while subsequently increasing economic opportunities. Coffee Kids is dedicated to helping coffee-farming families improve their lives and livelihoods. Coffee Kids does this by supporting programs in food security, economic diversification, health care, education, and capacity building. By helping coffeefarming families create alternate sources of income they will be able to better maintain
themselves and their families. Then they can continue farming coffee knowing that a dip in international prices will not have a catastrophic effect on family income. In Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Peru, Coffee Kids is working with over 9000 coffee farmers and their families in over 130 communities. The overall impact of our 17 projects reaches upwards of 80,000 people. One example is organic gardening in Tabaconas, Peru. Food production in this region is scarce and purchasing food is prohibitive in cost, so 30 families are learning about native and traditional plants, nutritional properties of crops and selling their surplus vegetables. Not only are they now able to meet their nutritional needs, they are earning extra income with the sales of surplus crops while benefiting community members who can purchase affordable, locally grown and organic foods.
in her local cooperative. Ligia is also a member of a microcredit group supported by Coffee Kids. Through small loans Ligia and women like her are able to start or expand small local businesses that add to the economic income of the family. This income is particularly critical during the dry season when there is no income from coffee. Ligia says, “I feel very proud because now I can serve the people in my community, and because we the students have achieved, through our efforts and studies, to work with the mayor of the community. This has opened many doors and opportunities that were previously unavailable. If it were not for these opportunities, I would not be who I am today. I would not have the same verbal fluency— not even to express my gratitude to all the supporters who contribute to the scholarship program.”
How can I help? Coffee Kids relies on cash donations to implement all of our projects. We also accept in-kind donations in the form of publicity, such as ads, as well as equipment and other resources to help us meet our administrative and marketing needs.
Cooperative ADESPA in Acatenango, Guatemala
Who benefits from this project? Most of the world’s coffee is grown by small-scale coffee farmers on farms less than 2 hectares in size (about 5 acres). It is these farmers and their families in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Peru who benefit directly from the support of Coffee Kids projects. It is people like Ligia Villareyna in Nicaragua who earned a scholarship from Coffee Kids and her cooperative in order to complete her high school education. She received a second scholarship to continue her education and work toward an accounting degree. She now manages much of the operations July 2011
Ligia Melania Aráuz, CECOCAFEN cooperative in Nicaragua.
IWCA
IWCA - International Convention Scholarships Contact: Web Site: Location:
Project Description
Linda P Smithers www.womenincoffee.org El Salvador
The International Women’s Coffee Alliance and IWCA El Salvador Chapter are hosting the 2nd International Women’s Coffee Convention, October 25-27, 2011 in El Salvador. Two of the goals of IWCA are to enhance the lives of women through information exchange and networking. Further the IWCA promotes the advancement of women in all sectors of the coffee industry. The IWCA Convention Scholarship program is designed to provide $400.00 scholarships to origin women from small fincas and farms. The scholarship will pay for convention registration, lodging, materials and food for the entire event. The producer will be responsible for transportation to El Salvador. IWCA encourages the industry Importers and Roasters to invest in the
advancement of Women Coffee Producers through this small donation. Donors may select a woman from a farm or co-op they currently work with to receive the donation or specify a particular origin to receive the donation and the scholarship committee along with chapter leadership will select a recipient.
Who Benefits from this project? Small finca owners who desire to advance the quality of their products, business and leadership skills are the primary candidates for scholarships.. Your donation can change the life of a woman coffee farmer, her family and her community. Leadership
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is learned ...please help us make a difference for the small producer women around the world.
How can I help? Donations of $400.00 per scholarship are needed. Airline miles and associated fees to assist scholarship recipients with travel expenses would also be useful. General donations and underwriting for the IWCA 2nd International Women in Coffee Convention are always needed and appreciated
Promoting Possibilities
Join us in El Salvador!
The IWCA International Convention ROYAL DECAMERON SALINITAS EL S ALVADO R | O CTO BER 25 TH- 27 TH F OR
MORE I NFO
V ISIT :
WWW.WOMENINCOFFEE.ORG
The Coffee Trust
Project Ixil Contact Name: Web Site: Project Name: Location:
Bill Fishbein www.thecoffeetrust.org Project ixil Chajul, Nebaj and Cotzal, Quiche- Guatemala
Bill Fishbein, Pres. Coffee Trust, Paula Rodriguez, ED Fundacion Ixil & and Ixil students
Project Description
Project Ixil is a comprehensive, grassroots development project located in the Ixil region of Guatemala known as The Ixil Triangle in Guatemala. The area is extremely remote, which contributed to generations of extreme isolation and the subsequent unity of the Ixil people. This led to fierce resistance during the 36-year Guatemalan civil war and ultimately, to the killing of almost half the Ixil population. The war ended 15 years ago. However, since then the population has rebounded. Today more than half the population is under 17, with few skills and little education. These young people represent the best of all possible hopes for the Ixil people. But, they are extremely vulnerable. Drug dealers make easy prey of them and the lure of a better life in the US leads them to take extraordinary risks to cross the border. The cultural fabric of the entire region is at risk along with some of Guatemala’s finest quality, organically grown, fair trade coffee. Asociación Chajulense, the local, organic, fair trade coffee association in the area was founded during the war and somehow managed to survive the conflict. However, by 2008
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The Honey Project provides much needed added income
it became obvious that it could no longer fulfill its social obligations and maintain the quality of its production. Asociacion Chjulense helped establish Fundacion Ixil in 2009 as a private foundation charged with improving social conditions in the entire Ixil region, not limited to members of Chajulense. Since then, Fundacion Ixil has undertaken a multi-dimensional development effort, addressing education, health care, food security and economic development. To ensure a sustainable impact, it is fundamentally based in education and training in all fields. Project Ixil is a multi-faceted development program supporting education projects that address middle school, secondary, vocational, and university education. It includes a local teacher-training program to improve the overall education in the area. The program includes a health care component that addresses reproductive health through pre-natal and post-natal care. It promotes
preventive health care through medicinal herbs and traditional medicine, and training in proper hygiene, clean water and sanitation. It includes a food security component that will give children and adults the knowledge and means to grow their own healthy food and learn how to prepare it. There is an economic development component that includes support for micro-enterprises, women’s savings and micro-credit, tourism and vocational training to provide skills directly related to employment. And, as educated women tend to marry later, have fewer children and use their education and resources for the betterment of their families, Fundacion Ixil will focus on, but not be limited to the education of women. The Coffee Trust founder, Bill Fishbein, helped create and subsequently join the board of Fundacion Ixil and is fully committed July 2011
Ixil Woman drying the beans
to the development of the region. As components of the multi-faceted effort unfold, the knowledge and experience gained in the process will be shared with other like-minded NGO’s interested in implementing similar programs in other coffee-producing regions.
Who benefits from this project? The war left a wake of mistrust and deepened poverty amongst the Ixil people. Poverty affects 87% of the population. 33% live in extreme poverty. Only 66% of the population has access to intermittent electricity. 52% of the population attends primary school and only 5% attend secondary school. Less than 1% attend college. Gastrointestinal, respiratory and skin diseases are prevalent and there is little education in preventive health with only 37% of the population having access to any health care whatsoever. Only 12% having access to clean water. Malnutrition exists among women and children and food scarcity occurs for 4 months per year. Alcoholism is a serious problem in the region. Coffee is a main source of income for the region yet not enough to provide for families 12 months each year. Severely limited education and lack of skills of the Ixil people make it next to impossible to find meaningful employment in the region. Hardship runs deep with the Ixil people. However, the spirit of the Ixil people remain strong and their long history and rich culture bind them together. Their entrepreneurial spirit holds within it the potential for the Ixil people to capitalize on creative economic opportunities and drive their own economic development. Despite their difficulties, the Ixil people have been able to find strength in unity.
How can I help? Cash donations are what is most needed at this time.
Growers First
Growers First Contact: Web Site: Location:
Glenn Parrish www.growersfirst.org Coffee Growing Regions
Project Description
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This past May In his Keynote speech at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs annual Symposium Bill Gates declared “helping poor farming families grow more crops and get them to market is the world’s single most powerful lever for reducing poverty and hunger.” For almost ten years Growers First has proved this to be true in the remote coffee growing regions of Honduras and Mexico. Grower’s First helps poor rural mountain coffee farmers to establish long-term economic sustainability in their farm communities. Growers First seeks to: • Place more of the end-consumer’s coffee purchase price in the hands of the farmer • Empower the indigenous coffee farmers and their families to address the needs of their communities - as they determine them • Through state-of-theart technologies, enable the consumer to establish a relationship with the source producer of their premium cup of coffee. What We Do and How We Do It The Growers First approach is not about raising funds to distribute aid, which too often seems to disappear quickly with no lasting benefit. Rather, it is working directly with families: educating, training and mentoring, so that their move out of poverty and into sustainability occurs through their own efforts and commitment. The Growers First approach recognizes that the families with whom they work are not looking for hand-outs; they want to work their way out of poverty in a way that respects their culture, their values and their desire to be productive contributors to
society. The emphasis is on local empowerment through a variety of programs, such as: • Establishing local farmer cooperatives and partnering with existing cooperatives • Providing agricultural micro-credit at key points in the growing and harvest season. These “Growers First Global Funds” complement development bank partnerships, and enable farmers to free themselves from being financially captive to intermediary (“coyote”) loans. • Supporting the establishment of processing facilities in and near the farming communities, enabling the farmers to sell their coffee at a higher value point in the supply chain • Providing agronomic education and training to enable the farmers to improve quality and yield in their farms in an environmentally responsible manner The ultimate goal of these and many other programs is for a greater percentage of the end-consumer price of specialty coffee to accrue to the farmer who grew the beans, year after year, irrespective of fluctuations in worldwide commodity prices, thereby establishing a solid economic base for the farmers and their community.
Who Benefits from this project? Growers First currently serves 657 poor coffee growing families in the remote regions of Honduras and Mexico--families such as Rito’s. Five years ago Rito sold his entire coffee crop for $97. His family had no access to clean water, he and his wife struggled to put food on the table, their kids were frequently sick. They struggled to just get by. Since that time with help of Growers First (and a lot of hard work by Rito and his family) their lives have dramatically improved. They now have a clean water well, a fuel efficient stove, cement floors in their house and Rito’s oldest son just started 9th grade (one of two kids from their village that have made it that far in school.) Because July 2011
of the training and support in agricultural practices Growers First has provided Rito’s coffee plants are thriving. He just sold this year’s crop for $1,500. We are rapidly expanding our programs to serve more poor coffee growing families. Last year we served 150 families--this year 657--in the next three years 3,500.
How can I help? Cultivate a relationship with your coffee grower. Come on a trip to origin with us. Volunteer your skills in medicine or agronomy. Go to our website, buy some Growers First Traceable-Transformation™ coffee. Make a cash donations to support our program. General Operations Funds of any amount are always welcomed to support the ongoing operations of the existing GFF team and our current activities. Pay for clean water for a village or training for a medical practitioner. Be a banker--make a loan to help finance our farmers work. Growers First Global Funds (“GFGF”) A core element of the Growers First model is the provision of credit to farmers at multiple stages in the coffee growing and harvesting season. GFGF serve to bridge gaps that result from lending constraints occasionally imposed by development bank partner organizations. Over the last several years GFGF funds totaling over $1 Million have been lent, with a 100% repayment rate. For the remaining part of the 2010-2011 season there is an immediate current need for up to $120,000. These loans typically have a term of 90 days and pay interest of 10-12%. The minimum loan amount is $10,000
The Polus Center for Social & Economic Development, Inc.
Coffeelands Trust World Gifts Cafe Contact Name: Web Site: Project Name: Location:
Theresa Kane www.coffeelandstrust.org Coffeelands Trust World Gifts Cafe Clinton, MA
Project Description
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The Coffeelands Trust provides direct support to coffee farmers and their families who have been impacted by conflict or war. This funding may be used to improve their coffee farms, to help with food security, or for essential rehabilitation services. The funds pay for artificial limbs, physical therapy, vocational training, small business grants, and other related services. The Trust works with in-country partners to distribute micro-grants and to provide funding for emergency services and rehabilitation. The Coffeelands World Gifts Café, a new initiative slated to open in September 2011, is a storefront espresso cafe in central Massachusetts. The cafe will sell fair trade products, such as handcrafts and artwork, made by people living in coffee regions, as well as organic fair trade coffee served by people who have disabilities. We will sell these products in the new café as well as through website and corporate “gift basket” distribution system. All proceeds will go toward the Coffeelands Trust for mini-grants to coffee farmers impacted by landmines. Both the Coffeelands Trust and the World Gifts Café are projects of the Polus Center for Social and Economic Development, Inc., a non-profit organization that has supported people with disabilities in Massachusetts USA to live and work within their communities for 32 years. The Polus Center began coordinating humanitarian efforts in Latin America in 1997 to address the needs of people with disabilities, particularly people who lost limbs due to acts of war, landmines, and disease. The Polus Center has an established track record for innovative and flexible victim assistance services, including community-based rehabilitation, economic reintegration, leadership development and capacity building as well as the
production and distribution of wheelchairs and prosthetics. The Polus Center works in Nicaragua, Honduras, Peru and Colombia, and has supported people in Zambia, Ethiopia and Mexico. Victim assistance efforts began in Jordan this year. The Coffeelands Trust was created when it became apparent that many of the landmine victims helped by the Polus Center were coffee farmers. Throughout coffee growing regions, explosives and remnants of war can devastate the lives of coffee workers and their families. A large number of victims are civilians, often women and children. These explosives result in limb loss, blindness and other disabling conditions. When a famer becomes disabled, he or she may no longer be able to work and provide for their family. Mines and other explosives also prevent good land from being cultivated, coffee trees from being picked, and crops from being transported to market. The World Gifts café brings together the work that the Polus Center has done for more than three decades in Massachusetts and the work it does to support people living in the coffee lands. It will promote skilled jobs for people with disabilities, help people living in coffee regions by providing a source of non-coffee income, and proceeds will support coffee farmers who have been impacted by landmines. This social enterprise can become a model for NGOs who work in developing countries yet also want to support their local communities.
Who benefits from this project? Coffee farmers and their families who have been injured or impacted by landmines and explosive remnants of war will ultimately benefit from this project. This will provide the means for remote health care, rehabilitation, and economic reintegration. The products will be bought from coffee growing regions to address the issue of cyclical and temporary July 2011
food insecurity during the months after the coffee harvest. It will provide them with another source of predictable and sustainable income. People with disabilities will benefit from the employment opportunity, not only the several we will employ but in general by providing a positive image to the community at large that people with disabilities are capable of working at and succeeding at highly skilled jobs. The coffee industry will benefit from spreading awareness about “where your coffee comes from” and the importance of fair trade. This also represents an opportunity for non-profits working in the coffee growing regions to work together and collaborate in ways that have not been done before.
How can I help? Many people have already contributed to this project, including Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee, a co-founder of the Coffeelands Trust, who donated all of the equipment needed for the “to-go” portion of the cafe; Boyer Coffee, who donated an espresso machine; and Jill Dugas who is providing interior design services. We have grants secured so that we can employ the American Barista school for consulting and training, and for some of the labor costs. We need in-kind donations of additional equipment such as ice machines, refrigeration units, tables/chairs, and everything it will take to equip a quality espresso cafe. We really need cash donations or donations of materials to build out the storefront to become accessible for people with disabilities using universal design principles. Cash donations will also help us buy our initial inventory of products from coffee regions. Coffee companies that wish to support specific people or regions in which they work are especially encouraged to provide not only cash donations to help us buy the products but also contact information and ideas, as we will honor all recommendations for where to buy our products. Volunteers from the local MA area would be welcome as well as someone to help design and implement the online store. And we are mostly looking for people to serve on our “virtual” advisory board and offer us your expertise!
Loved at home. Loved even more everywhere else.
There’s no doubt that customers love SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener. After all, it’s chosen by millions at home*. But what they really love is to see it in your operation with their favorite coffee or tea. Whether you offer single serve packets, high-volume beverages—like iced tea or iced coffee—or you’re just trying to keep up with the growing demand for more low-calorie beverages, SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener has a great tasting and profitable solution that will make customers happy, which should make you pretty happy too. Find out how much more customers could love your operation by visiting www.splendafoodservice.com or by calling Diamond Crystal Brands, Inc. at 1-800-654-5115. * Information Resources, Inc., Total US – FDTKS Monthly HH Penetration 52 weeks ending 02/27/11. © McNeil Nutritionals, LLC 2011. SPLENDA® is a registered trademark of McNeil Nutritionals, LLC.
Unión MicroFinanza
Microloan Coffee and Microlots Contact Name: Web Site: Project Name: Location:
Andrew Boyd www.microloancoffee.org and www.unionmicrofinanza.org Microloan Coffee and Microlots La Unión, Lempira- Honduras
Project Description
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The 32 villages of La Unión, Lempira are located in the mountains of West Honduras. The region of La Unión is finding the ability to grow phenomenal coffee. Previously, due to a lack of training, supplies and the cycle of poverty, farmers there were unable to produce One of our coffee enough crops or producers. sell their product at a fair price. Similar to many poverty stricken coffee regions, coffee was mixed and processed in large quantities with no distinction between quality and varietals. To alleviate poverty and help farmers find the true potential of their coffee, Unión MicroFinanza (UMF), an international non-profit organization, is working to break the cycle of poverty in rural Honduras and help farmers grow specialty coffee through an innovative microfinance model, coffee microlot program and a product called Microloan Coffee. Through microfinance, UMF provides microloans in the form of essential agricultural inputs, such as fertilizers, tools and seeds. In addition, they coordinate training sessions to ensure productive use of the inputs. These two elements ensure that farmers are able to obtain maximum crop yields, learn innovative techniques and have the field management knowledge to produce high quality coffee from the moment the seed is placed in the ground. During harvest time, UMF’s microlot program provides an avenue for farmers to get their coffees professionally tasted and scored. Then, in an effort to foster direct trade, UMF connects farmers with international buyers. This results in buyers getting a unique microlot and farmers getting the price they deserve for the quality of the coffee they produce. By creating their own product line, UMF also buys coffee themselves directly from
Farmer Ramiro Ponce. He is one of our loan clients and is a large contributing member to our microlot program
farmers in La Unión and roasts and packages it as Microloan Coffee. The coffee is sold throughout the United States. 100% of the proceeds are invested back into the organization to fund and foster further growth in the microloan and coffee program. The end result is a sustainable, innovative, rural microfinance program, which empowers farmers to grow specialty coffee and lift themselves out of poverty.
From left to right is UMF employee Mike De Wit, UMF employee Gilberto Barrientos, coffee farmer Tito Paz and UMF employee Patrick Hughes.
Who benefits from this project? The farmers, families and communities of La Unión, Honduras are located in a rural, isolated and mountainous region. The hardships of poverty are a daily norm with many individuals living in extreme poverty. Conditions vary in each village, with some villagers living in more dire situations than others. Access to electricity, water, healthcare, and education remains difficult. It is within these villages, ranging in size from 50 to 400 people that UMF works. Though most farmers grow beans and corn to sustain their families for the year, everyone is involved with coffee. If a farmer has the land, he will grow coffee. For those that do not, they will pick in someone else’s field during the coffee harvest. Farmers here want to work, but do not have the means to reap the maximum benefits from the small lands they cultivate. With the help of UMF, they can grow more corn and beans to sustain their families, and come closer to reaching the maximum coffee output that their piece of land can produce. UMF wants to see the lives of their clients and their families improve. They want farmers to take July 2011
pride in growing better crops with more bountiful harvests. Through sustained rural development assistance, Unión MicroFinanza will enable their farmers and their communities with the resources to elevate themselves to another, higher level of living.
One of our training sessions on organic fertilizers that we held with one of our collaborating partners IHCAFE.
How can I help?
There are several ways to help make this project more successful: If you are interested in purchasing or acquiring samples from a microlot, going on a microlot or coffee education trip to Honduras or have other questions, please contact UMF representative Andrew Boyd at andrew. boyd@unionmicrofinanza.com or number 231.288.8355. For those interested in donating to the organization and microloan program directly you can do so at http://www.unionmicrofinanza.org/umf/ connect/donate If you would like to purchase Microloan Coffee please visit http:// microloancoffee.com/buy
Domingo Sanchez with fertilizer on his mule. This is actually our first loan ever.
Project First Taste
Project First Taste Project Web Site: www.projectfirsttaste.org Location: Seattle, WA
Project Description
Project First Taste, a project of The CoffeeTalk Foundation, has developed training and networking curriculums to show coffee growers what their coffees taste like, how they compare to known taste profiles of consuming countries The growers in the conference then return to their farms better prepared to develop coffees that appeal to consumers, market those coffees more effectively to roasters, and most importantly earn more money for their families and their communities. Coffee growers typically do not know what their coffee crop tastes like. All their coffee enters the export market and they have no means or standards to prepare brewed coffee to specialty standards nor are they able to compare their coffee to others. Project First Taste changes this. Assembled in Co-ops and at meeting places throughout countries of origin, we gather farmers together for 2 day conferences where international and in-country trainers prepare their coffees and rate them to SCAA standards as well as lead classes in coffee cupping. The growers are able to taste their own coffees, typically for the first time, as well as the coffees of the other growers in the class. The attendees also taste specialty coffees that meet the taste standards of the consuming countries.
basic cupping lab equipment, a grinder and scale, and all the workbooks and teaching materials from the class. Growers will continue back at their farms to cup and learn about their coffee as well as share their skills with the rest of their communities. The course and the kit will certainly not make all the growers instant Q Graders and cuppers but they will be set upon a course that may, with practice and care lead to better value for their crops, recognition in their communities, and possibly one day, they may stand on the stage as the proud winner at a Cup of Excellence auction.
Who benefits from this project? Project First Taste is focusing on smallholder coffee growers. Through this project growers will have a better understanding
The participating growers are also taught aromatics and how ‘handling for quality’ can change the value of their coffees and therefore the price of their coffees. Finally, the growers take advantage of the trainers’ marketing expertise to craft a compelling marketing message for their coffees and their farms. This carefully crafted message is then published in CoffeeTalk Magazine and distributed directly to CoffeeTalk’s extensive Roaster Directory – the largest in the industry.
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Not only do the growers take away valuable information from the conferences but they also leave with the means to continue to grow and enhance their knowledge. Each participant receives the Project First Taste Roasting and Cupping kit, which includes a simple, yet effective coffee sample roaster, July 2011
of the value of their coffee and be better positioned to receive full compensation for their crop.
How can I help? Project First Taste is looking for volunteers to serve as trainers and facilitators, interpreters, and donations from individuals, companies, and foundations to further this work.