Introduction to Fair Trade, Equal Exchange & the UCC Coffee Project

Coffee producing countries

Small Farmers The Herrera Briceño Family CECOCAFEN Cooperative, Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Volatile Coffee Market

No Direct Market Access

No Access to Affordable Credit

What’s the Alternative to this Exploitative System?

Yes. Fair Trade!

Fair, Stable Prices

Co-operatives Annual Meeting: Cepicafe Co-operative, Peru

Pre-harvest Credit

Direct & Long-Term Buying Relationships

Environmental Sustainability

Fair Trade Principles Pay a guaranteed minimum price Work only with democratically run small farmer cooperatives Provide pre-shipment financing Develop long-term, direct buying relationships Encourage ecologically sustainable farming practices

In 2008, Equal Exchange paid over $1 million Above Market Prices to coffee co-ops In 2008, Equal Exchange paid $ 644,945 in Fair Trade premiums (coffee only) In 2008, Equal Exchange fulfilled co-op requests for pre-shipment financing, totaling $2 million In 2008, Equal Exchange purchased 6.8 million pounds of coffee from small farming co-ops Benefits of Fair Trade

Equal Exchange First Fair Trade coffee company in U.S., est Co-operative Business Model For profit, worker-owned, mission driven and 100% Fair Trade Unique Interfaith program Quality products and great customer service

Mission of Equal Exchange Equal Exchange’s mission is to build long-term partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound, to foster mutually beneficial relations between farmers and consumers, and to demonstrate, through our success, the viability of worker cooperatives and fair trade.

Interfaith Program Partnerships with faith-based relief, development and human rights organizations to help communities of faith learn about and promote Fair Trade. For each purchase made through our partnerships, a portion goes into a Small Farmer Fund that our partner organizations use in their relief and development work. In 2008, Equal Exchange Small Farmer Funds totaled $152,873! In 2008, Interfaith program participants purchased more than 1 million pounds of products. In 2008 there were more than 17,900 participants

UCC Coffee Project Partnership with Justice & Witness Ministries began in 2002 Join over 900 congregations For every pound of product purchased, Equal Exchange donates 15 cents to the Small Farmer Fund In 2008, this totaled $11,431

Fairly Traded coffee, tea, chocolate, nuts & berries

Get Involved Serve Sell Raise Funds Educate Travel "I want to send my thanks to all of the congregations that purchase our coffee. Thanks to you, we have a seed of hope in our lives." - Jose Luis Castillo Vasquez, Coffee Farmer, El Salvador