I LOVE coffee, YES I DO ...

I LOVE Coffee, HOW ABOUT YOU???

Recently I professed my love for coffee and received information about Fair Trade and drinking responsibly.

I was able to sit down and share a bit with Stacy Wagner, PR Director TransFair USA & Green Mountain:


I also read the TransFair blog - simply a MUST read ...

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House: Trans Fair USA supports and promotes Fair Trade in the United States. Please tell us about your tracking from farm to finished product.

Ms. Wagner: TransFair USA works with an international network of Fair Trade organizations to contract with each party involved in the product supply chain--from Farm to Importer to Brand or Retailer--to ensure that farmers recieve fair prices for their products and that the Fair Trade community development funds are paid. These funds help provide farming families with critical social support such as access to health care, education, transportation and more to help alleviate poverty in these communities.

House: Why is this agenda important?

Ms Wagner: In the countries that provide most of the food products we enjoy, farmers and workers don't have employment protections--fair wages, representation, negotiation power, etc--that we take for granted. These regions also tend to be extremely poor, and vulnerable to weather fluxuations as well as global prices and middlemen who will pair pennies on the dollar for their products. Fair Trade helps to organize the farmers and workers into cooperatives that have the ability to connect directly with the global market place, gain access to credit and stable prices for their crops, and give all workers a voice in the workplace. Another element unique to Fair Trade is the Fair Trade premium.  These funds help provide farming families with critical social support such as access to health care, education, transportation and more to help alleviate poverty in these communities.

House: Tell us about the men and women impacted by Fair Trade.

Ms. Wagner: For more than 35,000 Rwandan coffee families, Fair Trade certification has translated into new schools, improved healthcare, new clean water wells, and long-term economic security.  Sales of Spring Revival Blend will continue to generate additional income for farmers as well as Fair Tradepremium funds to invest in social programs.  Overall, GMCR purchased over 16.2 million pounds of Fair Trade Certified coffee from Africa, Asia and Latin America during its fiscal 2009. These purchases resulted in over $1.6 million in social premiums paid to farmers in the developing world.

Your readers may enjoy the first-hand account from our PR Manager Katie Barrow: Women, Coffee & Hope: Fair Trade is Blossoming in the Hills of Rwanda.

House: Green Mountain Coffee is an incredible, full bodied blend. How do they share in this campaign?

Ms. Wagner: This partnership with Green Mountain Coffee aims to raise awareness of the Rwandan coffee story, increase consumer demand for the country’s specialty coffee, and inform U.S. consumers that everyday purchases—such as a cup of coffee—can echo across continents to help alleviate poverty in the developing world.

Sales of Spring Revival Blend will continue to generate additional income for farmers as well as Fair Trade premium funds to invest in social programs.  Overall, GMCR purchased over 16.2 million pounds of Fair Trade Certified coffee from Africa, Asia and Latin America during its fiscal 2009. These purchases resulted in over $1.6 million in social premiums paid to farmers in the developing world.

House: If someone were to take away one important thing from Trans Fair USA efforts, what would you like it to be?

Ms. Wagner: Through small, every day purchases, U.S. consumers can feel empowered to make a difference in the lives of farmers and farm workers around the world. Fair Trade is just that--it's trade, not aid. We're helping farmers to build sustainable businesses and all consumers need to do is ask for Fair Trade when they order their morning coffee and look for the Fair Trade Certified label when they shop at the grocery store. Through conscious shopping, we've been able to send just under $200 million to the developing world in just 11 years.

Thank you so much for your time and wonderful information Trans Fair USA & Green Mountain Coffee!
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This is so important to me being a coffee drinker and free spirit who deeply believes in fair trade. Please tweet me what you loved best about this post - or leave a comment - you will automatically be entered to win Green Mountain's Limited Edition "SPRING REVIVAL BLEND" - Regular Ground!! Random.org will choose the winner Saturday, May 29th at midnight!