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Olive Branch Newsletter For January, 2003
Peace With JusticeBlessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." –Matthew 5:9 Olive Crest is happy to announce that we have a selection of Equal Exchange Coffees, Teas, and Cocoa available for sale. Please help us to help small farmers by purchasing fairly traded goods. THE UMCOR COFFEE PROJECT A United Methodist Committee on Relief project linking congregations with small farmers and their families through Fair Trade COFFEE: A BITTER CUP? Coffee is big business -- it's the second most heavily traded commodity in the world. But for the majority of small coffee farmers, the benefits are small. The chain of events that leads from the coffee farm to your cup is long and expensive, often leaving the farmer with very little to live on. Most small coffee farmers live in isolated communities in some of the poorest countries in the world. They usually sell their coffee through middlemen, known to Latin American farmers as "coyotes." With world prices in constant flux and coyotes offering the lowest price possible, farmers never know how much they'll get for their crops. Some 20 million people near the equator depend on coffee for their livelihood. In their struggle just to make a simple living, the producers of a rich crop are often trapped in poverty. But there is an alternative: FAIR TRADE. Fair trade shares the bounty of the coffee trade with those who grow the crop, helping them build a better future for themselves and their communities. FAIR TRADE: A TASTE OF JUSTICE The UMCOR Coffee Project offers a new link between our congregations and people in need in other countries. We can reach out to our neighbors overseas with the things we purchase as well as the offerings we give. In addition, for each case of coffee, tea, or cocoa purchased through the project, Equal Exchange makes a contribution to the UMCOR Small Farmer Fund which further supports coffee farmers and their families. Listen to the difference fair trade makes: "We used to live in houses made of corn husks," says Don Miguel Sifontes, president of a coffee cooperative in El Salvador that sells to Equal Exchange. "Now we have better work, better schools, homes of adobe, and a greater brotherhood of decision-makers." In Nicaragua, Equal Exchange helped small farmers to organize their own co-op, called PRODECOOP. By participating in the Coffee Project, United Methodists can help the co-op invest in farm improvements, reduce debt, improve nutrition, and provide administrative training for members. "It is very important for you to know that fair trade leads to better roads, better health and better lives for farmers, not just in Nicaragua, but around the world," says Rosario Castellon, former director of PRODECOOP. In Tanzania, Equal Exchange worked with the Kilimanjaro Native Cooperative Union (KNCU) to export their coffee directly to the U.S. for the first time. Gabriel Ulomi of KNCU thanked Methodist churches for getting involved in the project: "When you drink a cup of Equal Exchange coffee, you are supporting one or two or three small scale farmers on the other side of the world so they can have a better life and education for their children." THE EQUAL EXCHANGE COMMITMENT UMCOR's partner in this project, Equal Exchange, is an employee-owned Fair Trade Organization founded in 1986 and committed to the following principles: TO PAY A FAIR PRICE with a guaranteed minimum, ensuring the farmers a fair return for their labors. TO WORK WITH COOPERATIVES that are owned and governed by the farmers themselves. TO BUY DIRECTLY FROM THE FARMERS so the benefits of trade go to the farmers and their communities. TO OFFER CREDIT that farmers can afford, helping them to break the cycle of debt. TO ENCOURAGE ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE FARMING PRACTICES such as organic and shade-grown agriculture which build a long-term economic base for farmers while protecting community health and the environment. As a fair trade organization, Equal Exchange follows these standards on 100% of its coffees. Through its Interfaith Coffee Program, thousands of places of worship have become involved in fair trade, helping small farmers build a better life for themselves and their families. FAIRLY TRADED COFFEES
Café Salvador--Shade Grown--12 oz. pkg. of Conventional Full
City Roast Coffee with a roast strength of 3 on a scale of 5. A
full-bodied and smooth coffee grown by small farmer cooperatives in
El Salvador. Cafe Salvador is the product of a joint project with
Oxfam America and Neighbor to Neighbor.
Tanzanian Jubilee--12 oz. pkg. of Conventional Full City Roast
Coffee with a roast strength of 3 on a scale of 5. Full-bodied and
flavorful, this fairly traded coffee is grown by small farmers on the
slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, East Africa. Spread the call for
Jubilee while helping small farmers in indebted countries build a
better future for themselves and their families.
Hazelnut Crème--Shade Grown--12 oz. pkg. of Flavored Medium
Roast Coffee with a roast strength of 2 on a scale of 5. Medium roast
coffee with an enticing nutty aroma & a creamy rich hazelnut flavor.
Fairly coffee grown by small farmer cooperatives in El Salvador.
French Vanilla--Shade Grown--12 oz. pkg. of Flavored Medium
Roast Coffee with a roast strength of 2 on a scale of 5. Medium roast
coffee with a rich vanilla flavor. Fairly traded coffee grown by
small farmer cooperatives in El Salvador.
Organic Breakfast Blend--Shade Grown--12 oz. pkg. of a Blend of
Medium and French Roast Coffee with a roast strength of 3 on a scale
of 5. A balanced blend of light and dark roasts, full-bodied with a
rich flavor. Fairly traded coffee from small farmer cooperatives in
Nicaragua and Peru.
Organic French Roast--Shade Grown--12 oz. pkg. of a Dark Roast
Coffee with a roast strength of 5 on a scale of 5. For those who favor
the rich flavor of a dark roast coffee, our Organic French Roast is
the coffee of choice. Fairly traded coffee from small farmer co-ops in
Latin America.
Organic Mind, Body & Soul--Shade Grown--12 oz. pkg. of a Blend
of Medium and Vienna Roast Coffee with a roast strength of 3 on a scale
of 5. Our coffee purchaser's euphoric blend, lively, smooth and
spicy. Fairly traded coffee grown from indigenous cooperatives in
Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico.
Organic CO2 Decaf--Shade Grown--12 oz. pkg. of Full City Roast
Coffee with a roast strength of 3 on a scale of 5. All the richness
of our Organic Breakfast Blend, naturally decaffeinated with CO2.
Fairly traded coffee from small farmer co-ops in Latin America. FAIRLY TRADED TEAS
Organic English Breakfast--25 bags per box.
Organic Green Tea--25 bags per box.
NEW! Organic Darjeeling Tea--25 bags per box.
Organic Earl Grey--25 bags per box. FAIRLY TRADED HOT COCOA
Organic Hot Cocoa Mix--12 oz. can Back to Top This Newsletter's Table of Contents Newsletter Selection Menu Home Page |
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