The Exchange

A Lively Cupping Experience in Ethiopia

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:52:00 GMT

By Mike Mowry, Coffee Quality Coordinator

In February I spent a week traveling around Ethiopia with representatives from other coffee companies as part of a Cupping Caravan. In two 15 passenger vans, top loaded with gas ranges, propane, and 5 gallon bottles of water, we spent the first few days cupping—the industry term for analyzing coffee—at various ECX field labs. ECX stands for the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange, which is the government agency responsible for grading all commodities produced in Ethiopia. The bulk of their work is around cupping and green grading (the grading of raw, unroasted coffee).

The last few days of the Caravan were a highlight of my professional career. We left behind the organized, more formal labs and instead cupped outside, in farming communities, with farmers watching us taste their coffees. Here’s a rundown of the cupping at the Hama Co-operative in Yirga Chefe:

The van rolls up to the Hama Co-operatives office. Kids come running from everywhere to greet the van, yelling “farenji”, and “you, you, you, you!” Calling someone a farenji in Ethiopia (in the Amharic language), is bit like saying gringo in Latin America, or mzungu in other parts of Africa. It’s a friendly way of saying foreigner. From the van you can see a hundred farmers and their families awaiting our arrival. Based on the turnout, and the excitement in the air, you can tell that this will be an important event, not just for the cuppers, but also for the farmers present.

The purpose of this gathering is for the farmers from the Hama Co-operative to watch us cup coffees, some of which are from their co-operative, and then for us to publicly share our findings with the group. We’ve set up our gas ranges and propane tanks, the coffee is ground and measured out into each cup, and the water is on the boil. Our two cupping tables are set up under an open-walled, wooden structure, set on relatively uneven ground covered with bamboo mats. On the dirt road near the cupping area, we watch as cars and donkey taxis zip by. It’s a busy scene, in a busy town, but we’ve got to put the commotion out of our heads for the task at hand. And so, the cupping begins…

While we smell and taste the coffees, the farmers and their families watch on, speaking to each other as we go, watching the cuppers from abroad slurp each cup, take notes, and move around the tables. It’s quite an experience squeezing past people, grading the coffees, and taking in the vibe from the people and the street scene all around us. As the end of the cupping comes, the cuppers gather together to share notes, and to determine the highlights from all of the coffees. Then, one of the most important steps in the process takes place: it’s time to share our results with the farmers who have been watching so patiently.

One of the most unfortunate realities in the world of coffee trading is that most farmers have never been trained to properly grade the cup quality of their own coffee. Year after year, harvest to harvest, they painstakingly labor over their coffee trees. Not knowing how to grade your coffee for cup quality leaves a huge gap in the power dynamic for the farmer. You could be producing some of the finest tasting coffee in the world and never know, never be able to ask for more money for your harvest.

Of the seven coffees we cup, Hama Co-operative does really well on the table. It comes in at 87.5 points, with notes of jasmine and vanilla in the aroma, and black tea and ripe fruits in the flavor. As we announce these results, the farmers and their families are visibly excited about the results, and the totality of the moment, that “ah hah” feeling sets in. A process comes to an end, you can step back from it and see it in its entirety; more fully understand its purpose.

Though I’ve known it for years, in this moment I have a better sense of the importance of coffee cupping, and the huge effect it can have on the livelihood of subsistence farmers half way around the world. At Equal Exchange, we take our coffee grading responsibilities very seriously. For us, as importers, it’s our duty to get our information back to the co-operatives that we trade with.

I’m truly honored to be part of it.

Forthcoming Documentary to Showcase Employee Ownership

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:41:00 GMT

"Shift Change: Putting Democracy to Work" is a documentary film in progress by veteran award-winning filmmakers Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin. It tells the little-known stories of employee-owned businesses that compete successfully in today’s economy while providing secure, dignified jobs in democratic workplaces.

With the long decline in U.S. manufacturing and today’s economic crisis, millions have been thrown out of work, and many are losing their homes. There is growing interest in firms that are owned and managed by their workers. Such firms tend to be more profitable and innovative, and more committed to the communities where they are based. Yet the public has little knowledge of their success, and the promise they offer for a better life.

Equal Exchange will be one of the featured stories in the film, and already appears in the preview at www.shiftchange.org. Released on March 18, the preview has been picked up by many other news outlets and is being shown at numerous conferences this spring. "Shift Change" will be completed this summer, to encourage support for employee ownership and provide on-the-ground experience from a number of enterprises in the U.S. and Mondragon, Spain.

Please check out the preview, and consider supporting the recently launched Kickstarter campaign to raise completion funding. The goal is to raise $30,000 in 30 days. Screenings are being planned in cities around the country next fall, and for television broadcast soon after.

Keep an eye out for some of our worker-owners in the clip:

"I work here as an employee but I also own one share of the company. I have a say in what happens with the company, which is awesome." - Art, warehouse and distribution

"We have a stake. We have 'skin in the game' as they say. It’s a real business. We have goals to meet. There’s just this environment where we all love what we’re doing, and it’s very meaningful to us, and we all want it to work." - Dan, capital coordinator

Ask the Dietitian: Getting the Most Out of Spring

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:23:00 GMT

By Jessica Jones-Hughes, Banana Coordinator and In-house Dietitian

You know spring is here when the colorful crocus start to sprout and there's still sunlight during the evening commute. Even though we experienced a mild winter here in New England, I am still feeling that yearly inner yearning to get outside now that spring is officially here. Experiencing the outdoors after a long winter is not only great for lifting your spirits, but also for keeping active and naturally producing Vitamin D. Below are some tips and facts you may not know about what spring sunshine can do for you.

• Vitamin D: Did you know that your body naturally produces Vitamin D when sunlight hits unprotected skin? Vitamin D is very important to bone health, plus it helps strengthen our immune system and regulate cell growth. In the summer, being outside in a t-shirt and shorts for 15-30 minutes (if you are light skinned, not wearing sunscreen and out during peak sun exposure ~10am-2pm) can produce up to 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D. Our body only needs 600 IUs a day (800 IUs if you are over the age of 71), but your body will store the extra Vitamin D for use at a later time. During the winter months, especially in the northern areas, the sun is not strong enough to encourage Vitamin D production. As always, UV rays can cause a lot of skin damage, so please wear sunscreen, even if it means slower Vitamin D production. Safety first!

• Physical activity: If the spring sunshine makes you want to get up and dance, do it! If it makes you want to run, walk or hike, go get ‘em! If it makes you want to start planting your garden, then start planting! Physical activity counts as anything that gets your body moving. If the sunshine is not enough to draw you out, then how about the fact that exercise can help you control your weight; reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers; strengthen bones and muscles; improve mental health and mood; and increase your chances of living longer. Adults age 18-64 need at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week (an average of 20 minutes a day).

• Make your garden grow: Sunshine is a great reminder that it is garden season. With the re-emergence of the home gardening movement around the U.S., there are a lot of resources to help first-time gardeners. Check out your local community garden association or agriculture extension office for resources. In addition to being great exercise, gardening can be very therapeutic for the soul, fun for families, produce delicious organic food, and save you money.

One of the proudest moments for any farmer/gardener is getting to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Throw together some greens with any fresh garden veggies and top with this tasty Honey Balsamic Dressing using Equal Exchange Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

After a long day reaping the benefits of sunshine, rehydrate with Equal Exchange Iced Rooibos Tea with Mint and celebrate a successful day. There is nothing like a day filled with giving back to the earth, focusing on your health, and supporting small-scale farmers everywhere.

Learn more:

Vitamin D

Physical Activity

Do you have a nutrition question about an Equal Exchange product or something else? Send an e-mail to Jessica@okeusa.com and we'll answer it in an upcoming issue!

Introducing Equal Exchange Geobars

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:33:00 GMT

We're proud to introduce a new fairly traded product line for Equal Exchange... the Geobar.

Geo-what, you say? We'll explain: Geobars bring a global farmers’ market direct to you – all in one delicious snack bar made with fairly traded ingredients. They're great on the go, in packed lunches, or shared at a group function.

Geobars were first launched in 1999 by Traidcraft, a U.K.-based alternative trade organization that was working with a group of grape farmers in South Africa. Their first cereal bars were only comprised of 10-20% Fair Trade ingredients (by weight). Twelve years and multiple product changes later, the Geobars of today have over 50% Fair Trade ingredients. This is an amazing accomplishment, and we're proud to now help bring Geobars to the U.S. market. The goal is to someday produce a 100% Fair Trade Geobar!

The primary farmer groups that are supported through the Equal Exchange Geobars are South African grape farmers, Pakistani apricot collectors, Chilean beekeepers and berry farmers, Indian rice farmers, and Thai rice farmers.

And finally, the Equal Exchange Geobar varieties (available in a box of 6 bars):

Apricot - This fruity bar is a mix of wild apricots, juicy raisins, and sweet honey blended with toasted wheat flakes, oats and crisped rice.

Mixed Berries - Berry lovers! This bar is full of juicy raisins, blueberries and cranberries blended with toasted wheat flakes, oats, crisped rice and sweet honey.

Chocolate Raisin - This chocolaty bar has a mix of juicy raisins, cocoa, and dark chocolate chips blended with toasted wheat flakes, oats, crisped rice and sweet honey.

Geobars are now available on our retail webstore.

Interfaith customers can find them on our wholesale Interfaith webstore as well.

Let us know what you think!

Update 4/4/12:

We've gotten a few requests for nutritional info. Here you go:

Celebrating Women Around the World

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:36:00 GMT

By Ashley Symons, Creative Writer & Social Media Coordinator

It's Women's History Month.

In grade school, in March you likely talked about Rosa Parks and Jane Addams, and other women whose names have since been forgotten but who undoubtedly influenced women's rights movements. But what does celebrating women's history look like now, in our daily adult lives? How can we continue to support peace and justice for women globally?

One simple way is to support Equal Exchange.

In farming communities, women are often the first ones up and the last to bed, preparing meals for their families, tending to the gardens and livestock, helping with the harvest, and caring for children. Traditional gender roles and a division of labor are common, especially in very rural areas. In working with small farmer co-ops, we support women's skill-building and training, the formation of women's groups, increased female membership in co-ops, and gender diversity in co-op leadership. Progress can be slow, but change is happening and we see it each time we visit producer groups. You'll find some of these stories linked below.

On International Women's Day, March 8, four of us from Equal Exchange joined other demonstrators on the Mass. Ave bridge for an annual rally to call for an end to violence against women worldwide.

We brewed up our Congo Coffee, a special coffee that supports women survivors of violence and sexual assault through the Panzi Foundation. See beautiful photos from the day on Women for Women International - Boston's Facebook page. The coffee was distributed to participants from our Free Range Cafe coffee trike, which was a big hit (you might spot one of our coffe trikes around Boston at Copley Square, South Station, or Charles/MGH T-Station).

It was an empowering day, joining together with co-workers and strangers (new friends!) who were mutually there in support of women - celebrating our ideas, our voices, our full participation in our societies, whether that's at Equal Exchange's employee-owned roastery, or at a coffee co-op in Peru, or a tea garden in India. Together, we're writing our own women's history.

Watch this short video from Join Women on the Bridge, made by Equal Exchange:

Read more about farmer co-ops' women's groups and rising women leaders:

Experiencing Ethiopia through the Cup

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:52:00 GMT

Mike Mowry, Coffee Quality Coordinator, and Beth Ann Caspersen, Quality Control Manager, are in Ethiopia for two weeks. Here Mike talks week one and gives us an overview of what's still to come for the two travelers.

Well, folks, Ethiopia has been quite an experience thus far. We've been in Addis Ababa for a week now, and have been running around to different cuppings, conferences, and spending our after-hours time catching up with old friends from the world of specialty coffee.

A lot of the work so far has been preparatory, leading up to several big events in the next week. The annual East African Taste of Harvest Competition, which Beth Ann has been invited to participate in through her work with the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), has begun. As one of the first activities, Beth Ann participated in a cupping calibration with the other judges. A cupping calibration is a super important thing. All of the judges perform a preliminary cupping of different coffees to make sure that they are grading them in a similar manner, and that their scores don't vary too widely. From this they learn how to adapt their scores to better match the other participants. This is crucial to ensuring that the judges’ combined results actually reflect the overall qualities of the coffees in the competition. It is also a familiar exercise for us. We do this very same calibration work with our farmer partners from all around the world. Often, we bring them to Equal Exchange or Beth Ann visits them at source to do this work. Props to CQI. Just like our quality practices at Equal Exchange, they are very thorough in their processes, and we love that.

Upcoming this week, Beth Ann will be performing one of her last apprenticeship requirements to become a licensed Q Instructor. This is a major accomplishment in the professional coffee world, and it's not everyone who gets this far. It takes years of work in specialty coffee, honing your understanding of coffee quality and cupping, and a darn good ability to train and instruct other coffee graders from all over the world. For more information on Q Grading, and CQI, check them out here: http://www.coffeeinstitute.org/

This week is also a big one for me. I'll be representing Equal Exchange, and joining several other cuppers and buyers from the specialty coffee world, in what's being called a Cupping Caravan. Our travels will take us south from Addis Ababa into several of Ethiopia's major coffee growing areas: Yirgachefe and the Sidama Zone, where much of our Ethiopian coffees are sourced (like the naturally processed coffee in our Organic Ethiopian Full City). We'll be heading to Awassa, Yirga Alem, Aleta Wondo, Amaro, and Dila to cup coffees available from the recent harvest. We then return back to Addis Ababa at the end of the week for a final re-cupping of all the samples from the caravan. I'm super excited to taste the harvest, and really looking forward to visiting some of the communities we source from in Ethiopia.

I'll be sure to post some photos for you readers out there, so you can get a glimpse into where our wonderful Ethiopian coffees are grown and processed.

Follow Mike's Ethiopia travels on Twitter @EqExintheCup. Look for the #Mowry hashtag.

To a Mexican Biosphere and Back

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:41:00 GMT

Our coffee sourcing specialist, Todd Caspersen, and our brewing equipment guru (and great photographer), Joe Driscoll, were invited to attend a climate change conference hosted by coffee farmers in Mexico, followed by a journey into the remote biosphere preserve El Triunfo. Experience the journey through Todd's pen and Joe's camera lens. Read and see more here.

Equal Exchange in the West Bank

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:20:00 GMT

By Co-Executive Director Rob Everts and Community Sales Manager Susan Sklar

In early November 2011, Equal Exchange traveled to the West Bank to meet with the members of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee (PARC) from whom we are now buying organic, fairly traded olive oil.

Equal Exchange and PARC are both grounded in the most fundamental industry on earth: agriculture. Both of our organizations are committed to enabling small-scale farmers to remain on their land by working with their co-operatives, to growing quality products, and to building sustainable markets.

Working with a Palestinian group in the West Bank is particularly compelling given that this tiny spec of land in the Middle East is the source of more enduring conflict and heartache than practically any other in the world. Equal Exchange launched its new line of organic, fairly traded olive oil after years of discussions with personal friend and Palestinian olive oil pioneer, Tania Maxwell, who has marketed PARC’s oil under her Olive Branch Olive Oil brand. Tania’s experience and relationships proved invaluable in enabling us to form our new partnership with PARC, and she helped arrange our visit to the West Bank and accompanied us on the trip.

PARC was founded in 1983 by agronomists and veterinarians in order to serve farmers in the agricultural sector. Israel, like governments in many countries we import coffee from, had prioritized other industries and not invested heavily in agriculture—particularly in the Palestinian Territories. Ten years later the Palestinian Authority (PA) was established from the Oslo Accords, but vested interests in the PA were similarly disinterested in prioritizing agriculture. PARC lobbied to influence these early policies and continues to this day to encourage farmers to push the PA for their rights. Consequently, many see PARC as the proxy Ministry of Agriculture, which has led to some continuing friction with the PA.

Today PARC works with 41 co-operatives, each made up of anywhere from 20-80 members. These groups grow olives, couscous, almonds, dates and other products. They co-manage the plows, as well as the fertilization and harvesting of crops, and the maintenance of storage facilities. PARC’s stated target constituencies are farmers, women, and youth. In addition to promoting viable and sustainable economic development, PARC has also built community-based organizations and tries to instill transparency, accountability, and democracy in these organizations.

The Equal Exchange group included the two of us, Co-Executive Director Rink Dickinson, and Tania Maxwell. We spent a day at the Al Zawyeh co-operative, one of the co-ops that currently supplies olives for our finished product, which is sold in 500ml bottles. The co-op was formed in 2008 with 18 members and has since grown to 22. Al Zawyeh was formed to counter the vulnerability of individual farmers to the greed of intermediary traders. According to co-op president Ismail Hamondo, the benefits of the co-operative are numerous: large-scale purchases, which have lowered the costs of production for farmers and the price they pay for pressing; as well as shared best practices in pruning, plowing and collection. In addition farmers are learning how to build democracy. The co-op also plays a social role in the community, which among other things, assists students in finishing high school. Fair Trade income in the first couple of years has helped build a barn for sheep, and secure and distribute organic compost.

Many of the olive trees are hundreds, even thousands, of years old. For that reason they hold an almost sacred significance for some farmers. “When I was growing up my father took me with him when he worked in the olive groves,” said Sania Shqeer, a member of Al Zawyeh. “My father has since passed away. But I loved him; and because of that I love our trees.”

Even though Sania is university-trained as a social worker, she decided to become a farmer when she inerited her father's land.

On another day of our trip, we visited an olive oil press used by the Banizaid Alsharaya co-op. The press is owned by a father and son member of the co-operative. Once the olive harvest begins, the press runs 24 hours a day for two months. The whole community helps to load and unload bags of olives and the press is a gathering point for farmers and youth during this time. At the press, we watched as the olives traveled up a conveyor belt. Leaves were blown away and the fruit was washed by machines. Then the olives were crushed—pits and all—and the oil was filtered. Later it was siphoned into containers and transported back to the co-op to be stored in stainless steel tanks. In the future the Banizaid Alsharaya co-op plans to purchase a press that is owned and controlled by all of its members. And next year, the Al Zawyeh co-op will join with three other co-operatives to buy its own pressing station.

In December of each year, which is mid-to-late harvest, PARC sits down with all the co-operatives to determine the exact price of that year's olive oil. As with most co-operatives, PARC and the co-ops establish one price for all of its members. Every year the extraction rate is different for individual farmers. Since it fluctuates every year, the co-ops have agreed to establish a single price per member for each harvest. PARC also determines prices for the domestic market, the export market, for virgin and extra virgin, and for certified organic; these always exceed the cost of production and meet or exceed the established Fair Trade price. As orders come in, PARC collects the oil at the co-op stations and bottles it at the facility of Al Reef, PARC's nonprofit exporting organization, owned by all of the co-ops. Over the last 5-6 years, there have been enormous gains in capacity, quality control and bottling equipment. We were extremely inspired by what we saw and confident that processes and skilled people are in place to yield an extremely high-quality bottle of organic extra virgin olive oil.

Two factors have contributed to the relatively recent development of co-operatives in Palestine. First, the disappearance of the Israeli market after the second Intifada in 2000 forced Palestinian farmers to pursue other export markets for their olive oil. This path led them to the Fair Trade market and its requirement for volumes and consistent quality with various elements of documentation. The second factor was the Islamic tradition of passing land on to your children. For example, if a father passes his 12 dunums (approx. three acres) of land to three children, they each receive four dunums if they are all boys; girls receive one half of what boys do. This has led to the land becoming fragmented and in turn more likely to be abandoned and to drop out of productive use. Together with the promise of profitable markets, forming a co-op meant a new incentive was created for individual landholders, like Sania, to band together.

A number of undeniable hardships are ever present for Palestinian farmers. First among them is water. Climate change-induced drought has increasingly affected the production of trees in recent years. But Israeli policies limiting access to water for collection and irrigation has likewise posed a serious obstacle to a thriving agricultural sector. In fact, most water in the West Bank is diverted either to settlements or back to Israel.

On top of this is the problem of access. Numerous checkpoints and the wall pose serious challenges to optimal cultivation practices. In places, the wall separates a farmer from his or her grove and it is not possible to carry out the pruning and composting necessary to maximize productivity. Resolution of the all-important issue of water rights was deferred under the Oslo Accords until a “final settlement.”

It's impossible to separate the struggles of Palestinian olive farmers and our trade relationship from political struggles in the region: access to water, the barrier wall, checkpoints, settlements, and frustration with the Palestinian Authority. For Equal Exchange, this trip provided a first opportunity to begin learning how we might best contribute to just economic development in the West Bank. We return sober about the prospects for an enduring peace in the region but highly motivated that our smallest of roles is a contribution in that direction.

Finding Common Ground in Peru

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:20:00 GMT

By Jessica Jones-Hughes, Equal Exchange Bananas

You may have heard about food co-op general managers, employees, church members, or Equal Exchange staff making the trek down to the places where coffee, tea and cocoa are grown. In October of 2011, Equal Exchange took our first delegation to see a very different product: bananas!

The banana team invited loyal and long-time Equal Exchange banana supporters on the adventure. The final group included five produce managers of Twin Cities-area co-ops: Dean from the Wedge Co-op, Kim from Valley Natural Foods, Nick from Mississippi Market, Jean from Eastside Food Co-op, and Travis from Seward Co-op. The weeklong trip to the Northern desert area of Peru was led by Jessica, Phyllis and Scott of Equal Exchange.

The group spent the first day in Piura with the primary-level banana co-op, APOQ, and the next four days with the secondary-level banana co-op, CEPIBO. We met with the co-op’s board of directors, learned about the successes and many challenges of Fair Trade bananas in Peru, saw bananas being harvested on the farms, and observed the washing and packing of bananas into boxes at packing stations. Many questions arose from the small-scale farmers and our group, both parties eager to learn about every aspect of one another’s lives: “What do people think of our bananas in the USA?”, “How much do you sell bananas for?”, “Why did you start growing bananas?”, “What does co-op mean in your country?”. And so on.

One highlight of the trip was spending the night in the homes of farmers, a powerful and humbling experience. I asked my host, Pedro Navarro Pulache, how his life has changed as a member of the co-op, and he shared a courageous tale.

Years ago, his father passed down the small one-acre plot of land to him. With the land, they grew bananas and sold them nationally, until Dole entered the scene. In 2007, Dole was buying 90% of the organic bananas in the region. The growers enjoyed this until they started to ask Dole for more: better prices, the ability to organize democratically into co-operatives, and for the ability to pack and sell outside of Dole. Dole said no. This did not stop the growers; they began to organize in secret “hiding under the trees so that they would not see us,” he said.

With much pride and perseverance, Fair Trade co-operatives formed, and in 2008, many started to pull away from Dole, independently exporting Fair Trade organic bananas to alternative trading organizations like Equal Exchange. Today Dole is buying only 40% of the bananas in the region and is still trying to break up the co-ops, but with much less power than they previously held. Pedro’s life is improved, but not perfect; he still lives in poverty and hopes that one day consumers will be paying $2 per pound of bananas so that he can enjoy an even better life.

Another powerful moment on the trip was when all of the co-op produce managers agreed to raise their retail prices to consumers to above 0.99 cents/pound! The delegates realized that a tangible next step toward creating real change in Peru and our food system is to pay more for food that is worth it.

I still smile today thinking of the funny stories, cultural lessons and adventures we all had in Peru. My heart warms thinking about the powerful connection made between rural Peruvian banana farmers and Minnesotan produce managers. The most vibrant realization was a moment when everyone recognized that we were all standing on the same side of the fence. Even if we have different backgrounds and current realities, we were all connected and all working for a similar goal: to ignite a revolution in our food system—a goal that can only be accomplished if we continue to work together.

March is Equal Exchange Banana Month, email: info@okeusa.com to learn more about how you can be involved. Learn more at: www.beyondthepeel.com

Tierra Nueva: Fair Trade Opens Doors to New Opportunities

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:19:00 GMT

By Molly Zeff, Community Sales Representative

When I’m asked to explain Fair Trade, whether it’s over a holiday meal, chatting with people I meet on the subway, or in front of a congregation, I talk through the benefits of Fair Trade by running through the usual checklist: Credit in the form of pre-harvest financing. Fair Trade premiums. Direct, long-term relationships with farmers. And the one most people know: a stable, minimum, fair price.

It’s easy enough to run through these points in a list while explaining Fair Trade to a new acquaintance, but no amount of studying and explaining Fair Trade can compare with seeing these benefits at work in person. I recently enjoyed one of the most exciting experiences of my life, traveling in Nicaragua with a delegation of U.S. Presbyterians. Our group of 18, including 12 Presbyterian delegates, two Nicaraguan assistant interpreters, a few Presbyterian leaders, and myself, visited the Tierra Nueva co-operative, which means "New Earth" in Spanish. This secondary farmer co-operative (an umbrella organization) serves the needs of six primary farmer co-operatives jointly owned by over 630 hundred Fair Trade coffee farmers.

For all of our collective knowledge of Fair Trade, we were delighted to see that the effects of Fair Trade go far beyond the usual suspects on my above list. So, what do some of these improvements entail?

Women Taking on Leadership Roles in the Co-op

In 2006, only six percent of Tierra Nueva’s members were women. Through trainings in leadership development that were provided to women, that number grew to 15 percent in 2011, and the plan is for five more women to join this year. Each additional female socia (or co-op member) can now vote on policies, propose policy changes, and run for office.

Of course, these rights would only feel symbolic if they weren’t exercised, but fortunately they are: one of the primary co-ops is now managed by a democratically-elected female president. My group’s first question after learning of this development was, “So who’s going to be the first woman president of Tierra Nueva?” Given the changes in just three years, who knows what another three years could bring.

In the meantime, women have already taken the lead in other key areas of the co-operative. Agueda Ordeñana is well-established in her role at Tierra Nueva’s headquarters, which involves being in charge of Rural and Gender Development for the co-op.

At the impressive and expanding mill where thousands of pounds of coffee are processed every year, Yaquelin Torres, 24, is the head cupper for all of Tierra Nueva's six primary co-ops. She was selected for this position after participating in a cupping training program, and since she was the best cupper in the class, she is now in charge of quality control at the co-operative. The co-op continues to train more women to become both members and leaders, and Yaquelin’s appointment to lead cupper is one of many steps on the long road toward gender equality.

Diversifying Income through Chili Peppers

For a few years Tierra Nueva has been involved in producing honey. So what’s the next step for these entrepreneurial producers? Salsa!

After a rambling, twisting hike in the woods, dodging mud and holding branches aside, we came upon the deceivingly small – and extraordinarily powerful (read: hot!) chili peppers on a sloping hillside near the coffee farms. We quickly learned to be careful when picking these feisty orange peppers. They can set your skin and eyes on fire, but they were grown for a much more practical kind of power these chilis hold: the power to place the co-op in a position of greater financial stability! Diversifying crops will help lower the co-op’s dependence on coffee as their primary source of income.

We saw the peppers in a field one morning in el campo (the countryside) and stood the following morning inside a fully constructed and well-ventilated building ready for pepper processing. Within a matter of weeks, that building’s floors will be lined with processing equipment that has already been purchased; the chili paste needed for salsa is just a few carefully choreographed steps away. For now, the co-op will create and export the paste to be used in salsa.

So how is this connected to Fair Trade? The chili pepper project was financed with money from the Small Farmer Fund, a fund created by Equal Exchange and the Presbyterian Hunger Program (similar funds exist for all denominational partnerships). Every time a congregation orders any product through its denomination’s Fair Trade project, Equal Exchange makes a donation for every pound of product sold back into the Small Farmer Fund to be used for projects decided upon by the denomination and sometimes by the farmers. The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee contributed startup funds for the chili pepper project from its Small Farmer Fund and the Presbyterian Hunger Program made a substantial donation toward the project this past fall.

Who knew Fair Trade coffee purchases would lead to Fair Trade salsa?

Employment Programs for Rural Landless Residents

Another exciting development at Tierra Nueva is the co-op's employment programs for their landless neighbors from the region. Fair Trade works great for farmers, but to join co-operatives, farmers must already own land. Where does that leave landless rural folks?

Fortunately, there are many jobs besides farming that are required in managing a coffee, honey, and now, chili pepper, co-operative. For these roles, Tierra Nueva hires members of the local “poorest-of-the-poor” class, as development institutions often refer to people living on $1/day and with few possessions.

This means that Fair Trade not only ensures that farmers earn a fair living, not only offers small farmers direct access to export markets, and not only offers them a Fair Trade premium and countless other benefits, but it also enables these farmers to reach out within their own communities with employment opportunities.

The co-operative members themselves are unable to fill these positions because they are busy managing their farms and, well, picking coffee. For their landless neighbors, this means jobs are available on a regular basis to dry the coffee, carry it into the warehouse, tend to the greenhouse that supplies flowers for the honey bees to pollinate, and soon, to process chili peppers. We saw the employment program at work when we visited the co-op’s mill: several people were busy spreading out football fields of coffee beans to dry in the glaring Nicaraguan sunlight. And they’re pros: Juan, the past president of Tierra Fertil (one of Tierra Nueva’s primary co-ops), explained that these workers can tell when these beans are at just the right humidity level to be bagged up and stored in floor-to-ceiling stacks that dwarfed our group in the giant warehouse while they awaited roasting.

The steady jobs pay above minimum wage, and as the co-op continues expanding, their workforce will need to expand as well. Employment programs for landless residents are a much-needed step in a country where around 45 percent of people deal with underemployment.

Can Fair Trade Really Be as Good as it Sounds?

Tierra Nueva has made all of the above improvements in just the past few years, and they are planning to export more coffee, as well as add new products, in the coming years. Needless to say, our delegation was impressed with the improvements these farmers have made in their lives and with their entrepreneurial spirit.

After three days of hearing about all the benefits of Fair Trade from farmers, it sounded like Fair Trade was almost too good to be true. So during one learning session, our group asked Juan, “What are the disadvantages of being involved in Fair Trade?” Juan laughed with one of his characteristic, boisterous smiles and said in Spanish, “Si hay alguno, no los he visto todavía.”

“If there are any, I haven’t seen them yet.”

The next time I’m explaining Fair Trade over a meal or to a stranger on the subway, I’ll be sure to pass along Juan’s message. After all, who is better suited to promote Fair Trade than a farmer himself?

Fair Trade Valentine's Day Ideas

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:27:00 GMT

Reclaim Valentine's Day with simple gifts that don't harm people in the process of making them (read more about forced child slave labor in the Chocolate industry.) Here are a few ways to show loved ones you care while supporting Fair Trade:

Serve your sweetie some Organic Love Buzz. It's sweet, sultry and smooth. Need we say more?

You've already got the coffee. Now add Chocolate Chunk and Banana Pancakes for a tasty breakfast-in-bed.

For a limited time, we have cute new Valentine's Day cards that you can share with your friends and family. They come with Organic Dark Chocolate Minis to attach to each card.

Share a collection of chocolate bars with a loved one. Compare favorites or try pairing them with your favorite coffee or tea.

Have some fruit you've been meaning to eat? Eat it with melted chocolate! Here's a recipe for DIY fondue.

Share your ideas for a Fair Trade Valentine's Day in the comments--we'd love to hear them.

Ask the Dietitian: How to Fight the Winter Blues

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:01:00 GMT

By Jessica Jones-Hughes, Banana Coordinator and In-house Dietitian

Have you ever noticed feeling extra tired during the winter months? Less energy to do the things you usually do, like exercising or playing with your kids? As we shift into winter, the sun goes down earlier and rises later, the temperature drops, and our energy levels tend to follow. Not all of us are prone to the winter pull; some find the cold reenergizing. Regardless of which side of the fence you fall on, the below tips may boost your mood and help you feel stronger and healthier during the winter months.

1.) Eat breakfast.

Eating breakfast is one of the best ways to get your body moving in the morning. The word breakfast literally means to break the fast. Overnight, your metabolism slows down and needs to be kicked back into motion which is where breakfast comes in. Ideally, I recommend eating a meal that includes a whole grain carbohydrate, protein and healthy fat, especially at breakfast. As the day goes on, keep your brain and body fueled by eating every four to five hours.

Try this: Cook an egg from a local farm (protein + fat) using a little Equal Exchange olive oil (healthy fat) and enjoy it on top of a slice of whole grain toast (whole grain carbohydrate), alongside your favorite Equal Exchange coffee or tea.

2.) Limit consumption of processed carbohydrates / sugars.

Processed / packaged food tends to be filled with a lot of refined sugar, a result of processing. Refining removes important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fiber, from food. When you eat refined carbohydrates and sugars (i.e. white bread, white rice, soda, candy, fruit juice, jam or syrup), your body quickly digests the food causing your blood sugar to surge and then drop quickly leaving you feeling tired, cranky and hungry a few hours later.

Try this: Replace white foods with quality carbohydrates such as: vegetables, fruits, whole wheat rice, whole grains (quinoa, barley, wheat berries, oatmeal), beans and legumes.

All of the quality carbohydrates listed above have a lot of essential nutrients, such as fiber, which slows the absorption of sugars / carbohydrates into your blood, warding off those cranky, tired, hungry feelings. Studies show that quality carbohydrates can release serotonin which decreases depressive feelings, improves outlook and enhances calmness.

Reality check: You don’t have to be a purist and completely cut out your favorite Equal Exchange chocolate bar, simply moderate the amount you eat. Because we use actual cocoa beans and whole foods to make our bars, Equal Exchange Chocolate has a lot more good nutrients than most chocolate bars.

3.) Integrate protein into meals.

Although in the typical U.S. diet we get more than enough protein every day (even vegetarians!), it is important to eat high-quality protein with most meals and snacks. High quality protein includes beans, tofu, tempeh, eggs, lean meats, fish, low fat dairy, legumes, and nuts. Protein found in these foods (and in bananas!) have been shown to promote the release of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, hormones that are involved in boosting mood, and increasing alertness and focus hours after eating. Also, protein slows the digestion of carbohydrates.

Try this: Substitute your usual afternoon snack with a handful of Equal Exchange Tamari Roasted Almonds (one serving = one handful or about 20-25 almonds) and an Equal Exchange banana.

4.) Exercise and stay hydrated.

Although you may not feel as thirsty in the winter, the dry winter air can leave you more dehydrated than you think. Dehydration can make you feeling sluggish and tired.

Try this: Drink at least eight glasses of water or water equivalents each day. If you exercise, you will need more. Keep a reusable water bottle at your desk and by your side, refill and drink often throughout the day.

Exercise is one of the best ways to run off the winter blues (literally!). Exercising releases endorphins which increase happiness. Studies have also shown that exercise can help relieve depression and create physiological changes that make more energy to your body available throughout the day.

Try this: Join an indoor sports league, like soccer or volleyball. Get some friends together and try a new fun winter activity such as snow shoeing, ice skating or skiing.

For more mood boosting tips, check out this post from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Do you have a nutrition question about an Equal Exchange product or something else? Send an e-mail to Jessica@okeusa.com and we'll answer it in an upcoming issue!

Join us in Supporting Authentic Fair Trade

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:12:00 GMT

Deep controversies in the Fair Trade movement have been simmering over the past decade. Today, the situation has reached a boiling point and concrete actions must be taken or we risk losing everything we have collectively built. For those of you who are long-time allies of Equal Exchange, we appreciate your ongoing commitment to us, small farmer co-operatives, and Fair Trade. It is because of your commitment that small farmer organizations across the world have achieved the level of success they currently enjoy. For those of you who are newer to Fair Trade, we deeply appreciate the time and interest you are showing for small farmers across the world.

Read more on the Small Farmers Big Change blog and see how you can support this movement for authentic Fair Trade, including signing our public statement.

Disloyalty is Encouraged by Boston Area Coffee Shops

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:40:00 GMT

Coffee slingers of Boston are uniting to celebrate the city’s incredible café landscape and the art of brewing up high-quality artisanal coffee.

This winter, eight independently owned cafs are joining together to launch Boston’s first disloyalty card program. It’s similar to a customer loyalty card, except that customers are encouraged to visit other businesses. The idea is to build support for local, independent shops in a city dominated by national coffee chains and to inspire coffee enthusiasts to explore Boston’s growing coffee culture.

“Each café in the program brings a unique perspective to the world of specialty coffee and specialty cafés,” said Leif Rawson-Ahern, manager of the Equal Exchange Café in Boston and organizer of the disloyalty program. “Each has its own energy and atmosphere, making for an exciting and eclectic experience.”

The initiative came out of discussions between managers at Equal Exchange Café and City Feed & Supply in Jamaica Plain. “We get to share our excitement about Boston’s burgeoning coffee scene with our customers – and hopefully, serve up a pleasant surprise for some folks who don’t yet know our shop,” said Sam Archer, manager at City Feed & Supply’s Boylston Street location.

Here’s how it works. Starting on Dec. 15, 2011, the eight cafés will begin distributing disloyalty cards to their customers. The customers will have until March 15, 2012, to receive a stamp from each of the cafés when they purchase a drink. After the card is complete, they can redeem it for a free drink at any of the participating cafés.

The disloyalty card concept was first launched in London by Gwilym Davies, the 2009 World Barista Champion. Similar programs have popped up in the U.S., in Seattle and San Francisco. Rawson-Ahern said the initiative to launch a disloyalty program here in Boston has had overwhelming support and enthusiasm.

“We’re excited and proud to be joining up with other independent cafés – it feels like we are all part of a community.” said Andrew LoPilato, general manager at Pavement in Boston.

2011 Participating Cafés

EQUAL EXCHANGE CAFÉ

226 CAUSEWAY ST.

BOSTON, MA

BLUE STATE COFFEE

957 COMMONWEALTH AVE.

BOSTON, MA

PAVEMENT

1096 BOYLSTON ST.

BOSTON, MA

RENDER COFFEE

563 COLUMBUS AVE.

BOSTON, MA

VOLTAGE COFFEE & ART

295 3^RD ST.

CAMBRIDGE, MA

1369 COFFEE HOUSE

1369 CAMBRIDGE ST. &

757 MASSACHUSETTS AVE.

CAMBRIDGE, MA

CITY FEED & SUPPLY

66A BOYLSTON ST. & 672 CENTRE ST.

JAMAICA PLAIN, MA

ULA CAFÉ

284 AMORY ST.

JAMAICA PLAIN, MA

For more information, contact:

Leif Rawson-Ahern

226 Causeway Street

Boston, MA 02114

Tel: 617.372.8777

equalexchangecafé@gmail.com

Our Tasty Little Secret: A Dispatch from Tasting Panel

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:10:00 GMT

By Danielle Lafond, Quality Control Technician

Every Friday morning as you sip your (Equal Exchange!) coffee and settle into your day, something remarkable is happening. Promptly at 10 a.m., nine highly trained tasters are assembling in a quiet corner of the Quality Control lab at Equal Exchange for an hour of intense product evaluation. This is the Tasting Panel, a hand-picked group of the best mouths at Equal Exchange.

This is not an informal tasting. The members of the tasting panel have undergone extensive sensory training and calibration as a group, honing their skills and continually developing their pallets. This is a well-oiled tasting machine.

Did you know that the differences between two products can be assigned a numerical score? The panel does. For an hour every Friday we are transformed from people with opinions and preferences to unfeeling, scientific tools, capable of assigning a number to every sensory attribute of a product. Whereas at lunch, we may remark that, “This almond is crunchy,” in panel we would say, “This almond has a hardness of 9 and a fracturability of 8.” It sounds ridiculous, but it is important to track these qualities to ensure consistency from batch to batch of product.

Like any tool, we must remain sharp. But how do you sharpen your tongue? Not by studying witticisms! No, the panel uses food to keep our palettes active and at attention. How do you know if a chocolate bar has a hint of hazelnut if you have never actually tasted a hazelnut? A chocolate bar may have a note of cherry, but it is better to name the kind of cherry (maraschino or bing? Fresh or dried? Cooked or raw?) and therefore it is best to eat every kind of cherry.

The panel often devotes entire sessions to developing our tasting vocabulary by eating reference foods. This can be fun, like when we have to eat caramelized sugar references, but it can also be taxing. As you may know, Equal Exchange offers a milk chocolate bar. We thought it would be useful to familiarize ourselves with as many kinds of dairy products as possible and dove into whole milk, buttermilk, cream, cooked milk, malted milk, butter, and cream cheese. Whew!

So who are these masters of mastication, these gurus of gastronomy? Meet our panel below and see what they have to say for themselves!

Robby Tucker: Food Service Sales Representative

“Panel takes one of my hobbies, eating, and challenges me to taste even harder than ever before. You’d never think that you would find teriyaki in chocolate…but you might."

Suzanne Keleher: Customer Service Representative

“I feel very privileged to be a member of our tasting panel. We are an important tool for making sure we are selling top quality foods.

When I tell people outside of work that I eat chocolate as part of my job, they’re jealous. And, I am really awesome at detecting rancidity!”

Kelsie Evans: Chocolate Products Coordinator

“I love that Equal Exchange has the panel. I think it’s a testament to our commitment to producing high quality products. There’s so much involved in tasting, in really being able to taste chocolate, identify each flavor and put words to that experience. I definitely learn something new each session. And really, who can complain when tasting chocolate is part of your job description!”

Beth Ann Caspersen: Quality Control Manager

“Panel has been a great way to enhance our culture of quality at Equal Exchange. Getting folks from around the organization trained in tasting leads to more discussions by more people about what they eat and why it’s important to seek out quality ingredients.”

Brian Albert: Director of Finance

“As a self-described 'foodie,' I find the panel a natural fit for me; I love the process and challenge of drawing from past experience and thinking about the variety and depth of flavors in a food product in a way that goes beyond the typical 'I like this' or 'I don’t like that' approach that many folks apply to their food choices. In fact, working with the panel has helped me open my mind to revising some long-held assumptions about some foods that I thought I would not like or had not tasted in years!”

Joe Driscoll: Equipment Coordinator

“It makes for great small talk at parties. The conversation usually goes something like this:

'What do you do for work?'
'Well...among other things, I eat chocolate.'
'You get paid to eat chocolate?!'"

Michael Mowry: Quality Control Technician

“Panel has been an incredible tool for my learning. I’m used to spending my work week tasting and judging coffees, so some serious time analyzing our chocolates and cocoa is not only a lot of fun, but also super useful to me professionally. After all, chocolate and coffee can have a lot in common!”

Ashley Symons: Writer & Editor

“Doing a descriptive analysis of chocolate isn't as easy as it sounds! It definitely takes training and lots of practice; my skills get better with every session.”

And then there’s me, the coordinator of this team of tasting titans.

Danielle Lafond: Quality Control Technician

But I think I’ve said enough already.

The tasting panel has been active at Equal Exchange for three years. Expect to hear more updates from us on our exciting projects in the future!

Fair Trade Gift Ideas

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:17:00 GMT

Finding meaningful gifts for the various people in your life can be challenging, especially during the holiday frenzy. Here are some ideas that are tasty, affordable, and support small farmer co-ops worldwide. From the chocolate lovers to the coffee fanatics, we've got your friends and family covered!

For the Do Gooder

African Gift Box - This gift exemplifies a partnership to create change. Together with the Panzi Foundation in the D.R. Congo, BeadforLife® in Uganda, and our farmer partners in East Africa, this gift supports East African economies and women affected by violence.

Complete Fair Trader Gift Basket - This Fair Trade basket has it all for the Fair Trade enthusiast: two ground coffees, four chocolate bars, a can of hot cocoa, and a box of small farmer tea are all nestled inside a hand woven grass basket.

For the Coffee Lover

Coffee of the Month Subscription - Keep those coffee fanatics in your life caffeinated! They’ll think of you each time they brew your gift. Each month, two bags of our Coffee-of-the-Month will be sent to the recipient. You can opt for a 3, 6, 9 or 12 month gift.

For the Chocolate Lover

Chocolate Bar Collection - It’s too hard to decide which one bar to send, so how about a collection? Here’s six of Equal Exchange's most delicious chocolate bars, ranging from Milk Chocolate (38% cacao) to Extra Dark (80% cacao) Chocolate.

Minis Chocolate Basket - Everyone loves our Chocolate Minis! Give someone this little basket of chocolate minis and they can enjoy it at the office, in their kitchen, or anywhere, really.

Sweet & Spicy Gift Basket - This gift includes a mix of all our most popular chocolate products: hot cocoa, spicy cocoa, two chocolate bars and 25 chocolate minis wrapped in a cute cotton paper box.

For the Tea Enthusiast

Traditional Tea Sampler - This sample is perfect for the tea purist, with favorites like English Breakfast, Black Tea and Green Tea.

Flavored Tea Sampler - Our more unique flavored teas are put together in this sampler, including Chai, Jasmine Green, and Vanilla Rooibos.

For the Foodie

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil - A practical gift that’s also delicious! Our Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is robust and peppery with a strong fruit finish.

Organic Baking Cocoa - Bakers rave about our baking cocoa! Give it with one of our recipes attached.

Chocolate & Coffee Pairing Gift - Mmm, there’s nothing quite like a bite of chocolate combined with a sip of coffee. This kit is a great way to experience and explore the various tastes, textures and simple bliss that come together when you combine chocolate with its perfect coffee counterpart.

For the Zen Seeker

Mind, Body & Soul Mug Set - This calming set includes our popular Mind, Body & Soul coffee, a beautiful hand-painted mug, and a soothing Organic tea.

DIY Gift Bags

Mix 'n match your favorite Fair Trade coffee, chocolate, or tea and create your own gift complete with our Organic Canvas Bag. Might we suggest these fun additions:

Fair Trade Soccer Ball

Equal Exchange Zip-up Hoody

Congo Project T-shirt

Ask the Dietitian: How Do I Avoid Overeating During the Holidays?

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:03:00 GMT

By Jessica Jones-Hughes, Oke USA Banana Coordinator and In-house Dietitian

With the holidays quickly approaching, I always get questions about how to prepare for the season to avoid weight gain or overdoing it when all the tempting, delectable treats appear on the scene. I am a huge sucker for my grandma’s fresh baked rolls and brownies cooked using Equal Exchange dark chocolate. (Recipe here.) Luckily, I have found that these tasty delights can fit into a healthy, balanced diet, without guilt. How? Everything in moderation! What is moderation? Let’s find out.

Moderation means that you can include foods that you love in your diet, when you are aware of how much you are eating. This is especially important during the holiday season when so many delicious family- and friend-cooked dishes are available. Don’t get me wrong; I applaud the cooking that occurs during the holiday season, as cooking is an art that has been quickly fading over the past few decades. Thank the cook by enjoying the dish, but enjoy it in realistic portions.

Serving sizes can be hard to figure out on the fly. One way to familiarize your eye with correct serving sizes is to measure out portions using measuring cups into dishes you commonly use. There are also other great tips to help you crack the serving size code. Below are some examples of appropriate serving sizes compared to common household items to help you determine and remember the correct portion.

One serving equals:

1 fruit serving of an Equal Exchange Banana= the length of a pencil

One ounce of Equal Exchange chocolate= about 8 squares, or the size of floss package

1/4 cup Equal Exchange Organic Tamari Roasted Almonds= the size of a golf ball

1/4 cup Equal Exchange Organic Dried Sweetened Cranberries = the size of golf ball

To find out other correct serving sizes and comparisons to common household items (ex: 1.5 oz cheese = 3 dice) to keep you on track this holiday season, check out http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate. Another great tool: http://www.mypyramid.gov/HOLIDAY/holiday-portionsizes.html.

Use these tools and enjoy a holiday season filled with foods you love, in a way that keeps you feeling great and healthy.

Do you have a nutrition question about an Equal Exchange product? Send an e-mail to Jessica@okeusa.com and we'll answer it in an upcoming issue!

Jessica Jones-Hughes comes to Equal Exchange/Oké USA after finishing her Master's Degree at Tufts University School of Nutrition where she specialized in International Nutrition, completed a Dietetic internship and became a Registered Dietitian. Her studies, experiences and passions span across the science, agriculture, environmental and social aspects of nutrition and our food system, which drew her to Equal Exchange/Oké USA. Working to change the food system through fairly traded organic bananas brings together many of these areas of interest.

Faces of La Union in Mexico

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:42:00 GMT

Equal Exchange Coffee Equipment Guru and Photographer Joe Driscoll is capturing all the images of our trip to Chiapas, Mexico, this week. In this first installment, we focus on the Faces of La Union.

Equal Exchange Director of Purchasing Todd Caspersen participated in a conference with various producer cooperatives about the effects of climate change on the El Triunfo Biosphere and what impact climate change may have on the future of coffee production. This one-of-a-kind opportunity to share knowledge between trading partners is the backbone of how we do business at Equal Exchange. We have a common interest in addressing the issues in the El Triunfo Biosphere, and we are honored to be there.

Look for our next installment on the landscapes of Chiapas, Mexico, and the El Triunfo Biosphere.

Coffee Producers Participate in Climate Change Adaptation

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:50:00 GMT

By Todd Caspersen, Director of Purchasing

At the end of the line is cup quality; at the beginning are coffee communities.

Engaging and understanding these communities is fundamental to our coffee sourcing program. So, when we were invited to participate in a grassroots conference on coffee and climate change in Chiapas, Mexico, I jumped at the chance. Plus, we get to visit a protected cloud forest that requires special government permission to enter. Pretty cool.

I’m now here in Mexico attending the conference with my compadre Joe, Equal Exchange’s equipment guru. The first day of the conference included educational sessions on:

Climate change 101
Overview of key ecological characteristics of the Biosfera El Triunfo and ecosystem services
Probable impacts on regional climate and the production of coffee and subsistence crops
Presentation of regional coffee sector plans for climate change adaptation
Community planning tools for climate change adaptation; relating community emergency planning with regional emergency authorities
Advances in accessing international carbon markets for coffee farmers
Plans for a community college focused on a sustainable coffee production curriculum
Improving productivity and quality
Future of organic coffee production

The agenda was overly ambitious, but it was great to be with a large group of farmers and wrestle with these different topics. Each is deep and complex.

The fact that three of our co-operative partners had the vision and means to develop and implement a conference on climate change and its relationship to their surrounding natural environment, and their primary economic activity, clearly demonstrates their own understanding of the reality of climate change. And the power--and benefit--of working together as organized producers.

Election Day in the DR Congo

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:26:00 GMT

By Beth Ann Caspersen, Equal Exchange Quality Control Manager

Today is Election Day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); a country in central Africa that has been plagued by war and violence. On this day, I think about the 70 million Congolese people that live in the DR Congo and I mourn the five million people who have died over the last decade due to the horrific levels of violence.

The world waits in a complex holding pattern. How will peace be accomplished in the DRC? Will the Congolese people have access to free and fair elections? Today there are 11 presidential candidates; incumbent presidential candidate Joseph Kabila appears to be the front-runner, however there are reports that one opposition leader, Mr. Etienne Tshisekedi Wa Mulumba declared himself president almost three weeks ago. This move in combination with a few distant second and third place candidates make it hard to know what will happen today, but it makes me realize how much we in the U.S. take for granted in our own electoral process.

When I think about Election Day here in the U.S. it’s a pretty easy and straight forward process. I get a registration card in the mail and on Election Day I walk into my neighborhood voting station. People hold signs with pictures of their favorite candidates and catchy slogans. Usually my mind is made up before I get to the voting station about who I am going to vote for, but it’s always interesting for me to see which of my neighbors is openly endorsing which candidate. (We have the luxury of the first amendment: Freedom of speech.) I walk through the doors, show my identification and voting card, receive instructions from one of the election volunteers, and take my paper packet and pen to a small enclosed cubicle to fill out my voting card. I vote, put my paper vote into a tally box and one of the volunteers says, “Thank you for voting’ and hands me an oval sticker that says, “I voted.” I proudly put this sticker on my jacket and leave. It’s a simple process. I am not hassled when I come into the building or when I am leaving. People are generally polite and respectful. The voting process isn’t like this is many countries.

The build-up over the last month in the DRC has created attitudes that span from a lack of excitement, to hope and fear of what is to come. Now imagine that you are one of the millions of people in the DRC preparing to cast your vote. There has been escalating violence due to the presidential elections and there is an uncertainty in the air. Pair this with limited access to voting stations, which are few and far between. If you are able to get there, you may not be met with the kind of quiet and respectful voting atmosphere that I find in my small Providence, RI town district.

Instead you may have heard rumors about ballot boxes that have been stolen, and that the ballots have been set on fire; you hear stories of voters being threatened and intimidated into not voting. You may worry about the possible violence that may erupt outside of the voting station. Imagine walking up to place your vote, with some level of fear that the watchful eyes outside of the voting station may do more than watch. These are scary and overwhelming circumstances for anyone to deal with. I think about how this may be the brutal reality in many parts of the DRC on Election Day. Will this election make a difference? Who will become the next president? Will the future president change the violent landscape in the DRC?

The whole world is watching today. Please go out there and talk about it. There is a war in the mineral-rich Congo, with massive human rights abuses that will most likely not be cured by this presidential election. There are deep and complex issues of sexual violence, child soldiers and mining to name just a few. We hope that the outcome from these presidential elections will change the environment, but our hope has to be coupled with action.

Our action--and yours--is to tell people about the violence in the DR Congo. Here at Equal Exchange, we are working to support economic development through coffee purchases, while raising awareness about these complex issues. We know that our coffee purchases are helping to reconstruct the fallen economy in the DR Congo but this is only part of the answer.

We all want peace in the DR Congo. You are participating right now by learning about the issues and you can take further action by supporting some of the amazing organizations that are working toward lasting change. Take action with us.

Who Cares if You Buy from a Co-op or Not?

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:38:00 GMT

Beth Ann Caspersen, Quality Control Manager, and Lynsey Miller, Director of Sales & Marketing for Advanced Coffee, recently visited coffee producers in Uganda. Lynsey reflects on some takeaways here:

Check this out.

The farmers of Gumutindo co-op in Uganda would not have these things if they just were going at it as a single individual farmer:

The Tangibles

Pulping Stations: Being installed while we visit, these machines allow farmers access to this key equipment right in their own community, near their farm. The alternative would be to travel far (without a car, through very difficult roads) and pay someone else for the service of using their equipment. These machines mean less labor and better quality.

Training: Also being debuted during our visit, the Gumutindo staff created and debuted a short video in the local language of Lugisu, outlining the best practices for each of the many steps the farmers handle: 1) harvesting, 2) eliminating defects, 3) depulping, 4) fermenting, 5) washing, 6) sorting, 7) drying. Knowing the best methods will help farmers submit even-better coffee and receive more income.

Agronomists: Skilled agronomists work in each farming community, helping farmers make decisions that will improve yield, increase quality, and address challenges like pests and climatic changes.

Direct Access to an International Buyer: Equal Exchange staff visits both the co-op staff and the farmers themselves. This week, we offered trainings on quality at the farm level and explained what we look for in the coffee we buy and what farmers can do to increase the amount of quality coffee they produce that will meet these standards. This trip, Beth Ann trained 20 trainers and 95 farmers.

Environmental Stoves: Inspired by the women farmers she met with nine months ago, Beth Ann returned to the U.S. determined to support the women’s initiative beyond our coffee purchases. She raised money that will go toward installing 10 environmental stoves each in the Nasufwa and Buginyanya communities. These stoves will help the environment and the health of the women and their families.

The Intangibles

Direct Relationships: Gumutindo and Equal Exchange share challenges and ideas. We inspire each other. Because this isn’t simply a paper relationship, it creates opportunities we’d otherwise miss if we didn’t personally understand each other’s obstacles and potential.

Women’s Empowerment: the co-op creates a structure for community dialog and leadership. In two short years, four strong women’s groups have emerged and are growing. Five of the nine Gumutindo board members are women!

Youth Staying in Coffee: Co-op support helps to keep coffee farming a viable livelihood option for current farmers and their children. The co-op has just hired about 20 managers (local men and women) who are now living and working with the farmers in their communities. The co-op purposely sought out recent college-educated graduates to bring additional business skills back to the farming communities. This also created an opportunity for young people to return to work in rural communities instead of essentially exporting their skills only to jobs in the cities.

There are a lot of different types of trade models out there these days, touting this or that.

Why does Equal Exchange insist on buying only from small farmer co-ops? (After all, it might be trendier or easier if we did something else.) We’re thinking big and want to change the whole way consumers and farmers connect! Sometimes that means I talk about things like systemic change and infrastructure, and while those things are actually true, those words don’t convey the passion and the creativity of the changes that are actually happening on the ground.

So many of these things are happening in our network that it’s hard to summarize them. So instead, I’m not summarizing; the list above is what I see with my own experience on the ground, that the co-op commitment supports in one co-op

in Uganda.

Pretty sweet.

Our Homestay in Uganda

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:26:00 GMT

Beth Ann Caspersen, Quality Control Manager, and Lynsey Miller, Director of Sales & Marketing for Advanced Coffee, are currently visiting coffee producers in Uganda. Lynsey describes their homestay with Jennipher, one of the farmers in Nasufwa.

The house is simple, tidy, and has few belongings. The walls are constructed of vertical layers, alternating clay and timber. The roof is tin, the floor packed dirt. There is no electricity, no running water.

There are four small rooms in total - two for sleeping, one for kitchen supplies, one for eating. A separate similar room is constructed next door for cooking on an open fire. Most of the walls are bare, but where we sit, gathered around the table, the walls are decorated with pages from the local newspaper. The small font of daily news fades into the background, with headlines and photos summarizing the highlights of the recent past. Hanging on one wall is a giant piece of butcher paper with carefully lettered words proclaiming “Home Rules”:

Do not eat cold food.
Let other people advise you, but not decide for you.
Avoid listening to rumors.
Do not do anything [that will make you feel] guilty.
Avoid sitting in groups (meaning more or less, don’t run with the wrong crowd.)

Jennipher has a soft speaking voice, but a booming singing voice, which surfaces often. She is a widow. She is 37, Beth Ann’s age, and has six children and one grandchild.

Jennipher shuttles in and out, returning with small bowls full of food for our dinner together: matoke (mashed green bananas), rice, chard, bamboo greens, beans, eggplant with peanuts, and beef. It is a modest feast, surely in honor of our visit.

All the dishes feature local ingredients. Here this is not to make a political statement, it is because this is what is available and affordable. It is the best meal we’ve had in Uganda. Jennipher seems surprised and tickled by our compliments.

Throughout dinner we talk about Jennipher’s family, the crops she grows, the unusual opportunities she has had to travel, and the emerging voice of the women in the community. During the conversation, her 14-year old, Nasta, helps with the food, and enjoys just being close to us. Neighborhood children peer into the doorway, giggling at the novelty of the scene, wanting to catch a glimpse of us, or, for a lucky few, a glimpse of themselves in the display screen of my digital camera.

Jennipher is clearly respected in her community, evidenced by the brief interactions with neighbors as they pass by and exchange greetings. She manages her household (with the help of her eldest daughter, Jackie, and her mother-in-law, Josefina) and manages her farm.

The house sits on one plot, a tropical “garden farm” as Beth Ann calls it. She has used the income from her last coffee harvest to invest in more land, but it is not contiguous. She has to walk quite a ways to work that land, which causes additional challenges: lugging her compost and cow manure fertilizer from here to there, being away from her children, and being away from the coffee as it ripens, a fact that means she loses some of the ripe cherries to thieves when she isn’t nearby.

After hours of talking, long after the sun has set, we decide it is time for bed. I have spent the last hours feeling lucky to be a trusted guest in Jennipher’s world, but before we leave the table, Jennifer thanks us. She says:

“I live a simple life. If you had just met me in town, you might think that I am a powerful woman, a rich woman with a big house, a permanent house. I am so grateful that you have come to meet my family and my home. I thank you for coming.”

Portrait of a Gumutindo Coffee Farm

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:40:00 GMT

Looking Up

There is so much to take in on Jennipher's small farm in Nasufwa. Banana trees tower above us, as if keeping watch over the activity below. The bunches of bananas are still to green, not yet ready for harvest to sell, not yet ready to mash into matoke and enjoy.

Eye Level

The coffee trees look good, the first red cherries will soon be picked. Many more green cherries will ripen in the coming weeks. We pass an older coffee tree and Beth Ann and Jennipher talk about options for replacing this old tree with a new seedling. A new tree will produce at least three times the coffee that this aging tree is mustering, but there is a trade off: the seedling will take a few years to get to that peak level of production. When is the right time to cut your losses on the aging tree, forgoing its small harvest for several years of no harvest, but knowing you're investing in a better future return? Every decision on this farm is thoughtful.

Waist High

I keep bumping into this intriguing plant. Its giant leaves sway slowly, and this morning's rain still clings to it. I am surprised to learn that it's a yam plant. What a showy display for a root crop.

Down Low

At first glance the lower plants look like a chaotic array of tropical weeds. Of course that isn't so. A patch of chard is to the right, beans climb to the left. Just visible through the branches of the coffee tree is a patch of brown the size of a small room. The lumpiness of this unassuming plot is a giveaway for the potatoes growing underneath.

The Soil

The ground itself gets as much attention as the plants that sprout from it. Jennipher composts her family's food waste. She has a trench to capture soil during floods, to later redistribute it instead of losing it. She has a whole system for turning her cow's manure into organic fertilizer.

The Sounds

I've never strolled through a coffee plantation, where rows and rows of coffee are all that the eye can see. I'm told they are silent, devoid of animals, birds, and even of most insects. This farm is raucous: cows are braying, birds are chirping, bugs buzzing and - best of all - the family who lives on this farm tells us all about it, proudly.

Singing in the Rain in Nasufwa

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:42:00 GMT

Beth Ann Caspersen, Quality Control Manager, and Lynsey Miller, Director of Sales & Marketing for Advanced Coffee, are currently visiting coffee producers in Uganda. Lynsey describes their fourth day:

Today we're leaving Mbale behind to visit the Nasufwa co-op, which is part of Gumutindo. In town the sun is shining and it is quite hot. As we start out toward the mountain in our car, we can see wispy white clouds clinging to the top of the mountain, as if unable to escape the mountain's gravitational pull. From down here it looks picturesque, but up in the mountains it will mean rain.

Coffee thrives in places that receive lots of rain. These rainy mountains are perfect for coffee but the rains cause other problems here. It is muddy much of the year; roads require serious trucks on good days and can be impassable on bad ones. These are realities that many coffee farmers around the world confront, but in the slopes of Mt. Elgon, the severer rains also cause landslides, where whole sections of the landscape slide down the mountain, consuming crops, houses, livestock and people. Over the last two years, two landslides have taken the crops and lives of several of Gumutindo's farmers.

We are now inside the clouds and it is indeed raining. Our driver navigates the slippery cliffside switchbacks well as we ascend. It is slow going and it's scary.

Finally, we arrive at the community, and it's this arrival, not the treacherous drive, that succeeds in taking my breath away. A dozen of the women farmers have gathered and are singing, beautifully, loudly, with such passion, just for us. I have never received such a welcome in my life.

After today's coffee training, we ask the women farmers to stay behind to meet with us. We sit with them in a circle and talk. Beth Ann and I share more about ourselves, not as Quality Manager and Sales and Marketing Manager, but as women and mothers. Each of the women tells us more about her life - details about her family and farm. One of the women passes a funny note to our interpreter which starts us all laughing hysterically.

Women's role in coffee farming communities can vary greatly on the spectrum of traditional to progressive. The women in this room prove that it can be hard to categorize their role at either one end or the other. Many gender dynamics in their community are quite traditional, but there are a few big exceptions. They are farmers themselves, too. And they have formed a women's group to talk about important issues.

Although we called the meeting with them, it feels like we are guests in their world and in their work. They meet weekly (although this routine is harder to keep up during the harvest season) and tackle some big topics together: proper steps to grow the best coffee, environmental challenges they confront, AIDS, and orphaned children, a reality in their community, in part linked to AIDS. They have created a drama group and write songs to bring these topics to life. They do this work for themselves, for other women, and for their whole community.

Beth Ann shares that she has raised money to support a small project for the women's group: a limited number of "environmental stoves" that will channel smoke safely out of the home through the roof, instead of filling the entire kitchen. She asks if the women are worried about the impact of this kitchen smoke on their health and the health of their families. It is clear by their twinkling eyes and shifting body language that they are excited even before the translation relay delivers their reactions to us in words: one of the songs they sang upon our arrival spoke about finding a solution to this very concern!

The women are brave, smart and funny. We sing together before we leave and it's clear that we have inspired each other.

Up the Mountains to Bumayoga

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:04:00 GMT

Today we drove up into the mountains into the community of Bumayoga. It was raining but still beautiful. The farther we got from Mbale, the bumpier the road got, the mistier the air became, and the children waved back at our car with more confidence.

The training today was directly with coffee farmers. It included a short video just produced by Gumutindo co-op on the best harvesting and processing techniques, and then Beth Ann presented on coffee quality and defects. Next she broke the group of 35 farmers into 4-person teams (this type of group exercise is unusual) and had them do a sorting exercise. It was great!

Rachel, the new Bumayoga receiving manager who went through this training yesterday with Beth Ann, was already acting as a support to the farmers, going from group to group, helping them identify defects. Farmers young and old, men and women, all participated and asked great questions.

Despite the language barrier (Lydia Nabulumbi, Gumutindo's Quality Manager, translated into Lugisu), a lot of learning happened on both sides.

11/11/11 update: Check out these videos of the training at Bumayoga: