The UUSC Coffee Project was launched at General Assembly in June of 2001,
just as world coffee market prices were beginning to collapse. Years later,
the coffee crisis continues as prices remain at their lowest point in
decades, devastating farming communities across Latin America, Africa and
AsiaSRC.htmIn November 2005, the First Parish
Globalization & Economic Justice Action Project
decided to partner with the UUSC Coffee Project and with
Equal Exchange a worker-owned fair trade organization founded in
1986. Buying coffee, tea and cocoa directly from farmer cooperatives, Equal
Exchange follows the standards and principles of fair trade on 100 percent
of its products, ensuring that low-income farmers earn a fair price for
their products.
Direct payment to farmers also eliminates
the middlemen, giving farmers a much larger share of the profits. In 2001alone,
Equal Exchange paid farmers almost $1 million above
what they would have earned under conventional trade practices.
In partnership with these small farmer
cooperatives from India and Tanzania to Guatemala and Mexico, Equal Exchange
also provides essential pre-harvest credits, gives technical assistance to
cooperatives, encourages environmentally sustainable practices and healthy
and safe working conditions.
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A
WIN WIN WIN Proposition
• Your purchase will assist
farmers to better meet their families' basic needs, such as food,
education, and health care.
• You benefit by purchasing a superior
product at competitive supermaket prices.
•
Finally, all
profits generated from these sales will be used to support the
work of
First Parish.
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If you have questions, comments, or would like to
volunteer to assist in the Sunday Coffee Hour
sale of Fair Trade products please email us at
globalizaiton@uubedford.org
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