New Community Project - Equal Exchange Coffee Project

Coffee Anyone?
Enjoying a cup of coffee is an integral part of the day for many Brethren. Did you know that by taking a sip of your favorite brew, you're connected to what has become the world's second most traded commodity?

Coffee growing has another impact as well. Coffee naturally grows best in the shade of other, larger trees. In this way, raising coffee doesn't interfere drastically with the natural forest ecosystem in tropical areas where it is grown. However, higher yields can be had by packing trees closely together on hillsides in the open sunlight. Trouble is, the lack of shade stresses the trees, making it necessary to heavily fertilize them. In addition, with the forest cover now gone, so are the birds—a welcome development to insect populations. Pesticides must then be employed to control bugs.

David Radcliff, Erbin Browell of Equal Exchange's Interfaith Project, Porfidio Zepeda Arana of the Miraflor Coffee Cooperative in Nicaragua and Lynsey Miller of EE.

A Decent Cup of Coffee

Here's where coffee drinkers like you come in. Equal Exchange is worker-owned fair trade organization committed to fair trade on 100% of their products. For coffee, they pay their farmer partners a guaranteed minimum of $1.26 per pound ($1.41 a pound for organic) or 5 cents per pound above market price, whichever is higher. By buying directly from cooperatives, more money gets to the grower. Equal Exchange also provides advance credit and encourages organic shade-grown coffee production.

Equal Exchange also carries
Fair Trade cocoa mix and
an assortment of teas
—for the non-coffee drinkers
among us!

The New Community Project is joining with Equal Exchange to promote Fair Trade coffee within our denomination. A number of congregations are already taking part and are serving EE coffee at church fellowship events. Some have formed buyers clubs to make the coffee available to congregational members for home consumption.

"During the seventeen years I sold coffee for a living, I developed a taste for high quality coffee. When I left coffee sales for pastoral ministry, I found that I could no longer find or afford the quality I was used to. When I heard about Equal Exchange, I decided to buy some coffee because it seemed like a neat way to help people in poorer countries. I continue to buy Equal Exchange for that and one more reason, it's great coffee at reasonable prices!"

Mike Fletcher, pastor
Trinity Church of the Brethren
Redford, MI

You can make a difference in the lives of our global neighbors—and in the health of tropical ecosystems—every day by the simple choice of the brand of coffee you consume. Let's support our neighbors in their quest for a fair wage and a life of dignity and opportunity!

Equal Exchange has over 4,600 congregations of various denominations participating in the program. Included are the Lutherans, the American Friends Service Committee, the Unitarian Universalists Service Committee, and the United Methodist Committee on Relief. In 2001, Equal Exchange sold 60 tons of coffee through these partnerships, which helps the organization to support 18 cooperatives, representing over 60,000 farmers and their families.