The Exchange

A Lively Cupping Experience in Ethiopia

By Mike Mowry, Coffee Quality Coordinator

In February I spent a week traveling around Ethiopia with representatives from other coffee companies as part of a Cupping Caravan. In two 15 passenger vans, top loaded with gas ranges, propane, and 5 gallon bottles of water, we spent the first few days cupping—the industry term for analyzing coffee—at various ECX field labs. ECX stands for the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange, which is the government agency responsible for grading all commodities produced in Ethiopia. The bulk of their work is around cupping and green grading (the grading of raw, unroasted coffee).

The last few days of the Caravan were a highlight of my professional career. We left behind the organized, more formal labs and instead cupped outside, in farming communities, with farmers watching us taste their coffees. Here’s a rundown of the cupping at the Hama Co-operative in Yirga Chefe:

The van rolls up to the Hama Co-operatives office. Kids come running from everywhere to greet the van, yelling “farenji”, and “you, you, you, you!” Calling someone a farenji in Ethiopia (in the Amharic language), is bit like saying gringo in Latin America, or mzungu in other parts of Africa. It’s a friendly way of saying foreigner. From the van you can see a hundred farmers and their families awaiting our arrival. Based on the turnout, and the excitement in the air, you can tell that this will be an important event, not just for the cuppers, but also for the farmers present.

The purpose of this gathering is for the farmers from the Hama Co-operative to watch us cup coffees, some of which are from their co-operative, and then for us to publicly share our findings with the group. We’ve set up our gas ranges and propane tanks, the coffee is ground and measured out into each cup, and the water is on the boil. Our two cupping tables are set up under an open-walled, wooden structure, set on relatively uneven ground covered with bamboo mats. On the dirt road near the cupping area, we watch as cars and donkey taxis zip by. It’s a busy scene, in a busy town, but we’ve got to put the commotion out of our heads for the task at hand. And so, the cupping begins…

While we smell and taste the coffees, the farmers and their families watch on, speaking to each other as we go, watching the cuppers from abroad slurp each cup, take notes, and move around the tables. It’s quite an experience squeezing past people, grading the coffees, and taking in the vibe from the people and the street scene all around us. As the end of the cupping comes, the cuppers gather together to share notes, and to determine the highlights from all of the coffees. Then, one of the most important steps in the process takes place: it’s time to share our results with the farmers who have been watching so patiently.

One of the most unfortunate realities in the world of coffee trading is that most farmers have never been trained to properly grade the cup quality of their own coffee. Year after year, harvest to harvest, they painstakingly labor over their coffee trees. Not knowing how to grade your coffee for cup quality leaves a huge gap in the power dynamic for the farmer. You could be producing some of the finest tasting coffee in the world and never know, never be able to ask for more money for your harvest.

Of the seven coffees we cup, Hama Co-operative does really well on the table. It comes in at 87.5 points, with notes of jasmine and vanilla in the aroma, and black tea and ripe fruits in the flavor. As we announce these results, the farmers and their families are visibly excited about the results, and the totality of the moment, that “ah hah” feeling sets in. A process comes to an end, you can step back from it and see it in its entirety; more fully understand its purpose.

Though I’ve known it for years, in this moment I have a better sense of the importance of coffee cupping, and the huge effect it can have on the livelihood of subsistence farmers half way around the world. At Equal Exchange, we take our coffee grading responsibilities very seriously. For us, as importers, it’s our duty to get our information back to the co-operatives that we trade with.

I’m truly honored to be part of it. 

Forthcoming Documentary to Showcase Employee Ownership

"Shift Change: Putting Democracy to Work" is a documentary film in progress by veteran award-winning filmmakers Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin. It tells the little-known stories of employee-owned businesses that compete successfully in today’s economy while providing secure, dignified jobs in democratic workplaces.

With the long decline in U.S. manufacturing and today’s economic crisis, millions have been thrown out of work, and many are losing their homes. There is growing interest in firms that are owned and managed by their workers. Such firms tend to be more profitable and innovative, and more committed to the communities where they are based. Yet the public has little knowledge of their success, and the promise they offer for a better life.

Equal Exchange will be one of the featured stories in the film, and already appears in the preview at www.shiftchange.org. Released on March 18, the preview has been picked up by many other news outlets and is being shown at numerous conferences this spring. "Shift Change" will be completed this summer, to encourage support for employee ownership and provide on-the-ground experience from a number of enterprises in the U.S. and Mondragon, Spain.

Please check out the preview, and consider supporting the recently launched Kickstarter campaign to raise completion funding. The goal is to raise $30,000 in 30 days. Screenings are being planned in cities around the country next fall, and for television broadcast soon after. 

Keep an eye out for some of our worker-owners in the clip:

• "I work here as an employee but I also own one share of the company. I have a say in what happens with the company, which is awesome." - Art, warehouse and distribution 

• "We have a stake. We have 'skin in the game' as they say. It’s a real business. We have goals to meet. There’s just this environment where we all love what we’re doing, and it’s very meaningful to us, and we all want it to work." - Dan, capital coordinator 

 

Ask the Dietitian: Getting the Most Out of Spring

By Jessica Jones-Hughes, Banana Coordinator and In-house Dietitian

You know spring is here when the colorful crocus start to sprout and there's still sunlight during the evening commute. Even though we experienced a mild winter here in New England, I am still feeling that yearly inner yearning to get outside now that spring is officially here. Experiencing the outdoors after a long winter is not only great for lifting your spirits, but also for keeping active and naturally producing Vitamin D. Below are some tips and facts you may not know about what spring sunshine can do for you.

• Vitamin D: Did you know that your body naturally produces Vitamin D when sunlight hits unprotected skin? Vitamin D is very important to bone health, plus it helps strengthen our immune system and regulate cell growth. In the summer, being outside in a t-shirt and shorts for 15-30 minutes (if you are light skinned, not wearing sunscreen and out during peak sun exposure ~10am-2pm) can produce up to 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D. Our body only needs 600 IUs a day (800 IUs if you are over the age of 71), but your body will store the extra Vitamin D for use at a later time. During the winter months, especially in the northern areas, the sun is not strong enough to encourage Vitamin D production. As always, UV rays can cause a lot of skin damage, so please wear sunscreen, even if it means slower Vitamin D production. Safety first!

• Physical activity: If the spring sunshine makes you want to get up and dance, do it! If it makes you want to run, walk or hike, go get ‘em! If it makes you want to start planting your garden, then start planting! Physical activity counts as anything that gets your body moving. If the sunshine is not enough to draw you out, then how about the fact that exercise can help you control your weight; reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers; strengthen bones and muscles; improve mental health and mood; and increase your chances of living longer. Adults age 18-64 need at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week (an average of 20 minutes a day).

• Make your garden grow: Sunshine is a great reminder that it is garden season. With the re-emergence of the home gardening movement around the U.S., there are a lot of resources to help first-time gardeners. Check out your local community garden association or agriculture extension office for resources. In addition to being great exercise, gardening can be very therapeutic for the soul, fun for families, produce delicious organic food, and save you money.

One of the proudest moments for any farmer/gardener is getting to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Throw together some greens with any fresh garden veggies and top with this tasty Honey Balsamic Dressing using Equal Exchange Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

After a long day reaping the benefits of sunshine, rehydrate with Equal Exchange Iced Rooibos Tea with Mint and celebrate a successful day. There is nothing like a day filled with giving back to the earth, focusing on your health, and supporting small-scale farmers everywhere.

Learn more:

• Vitamin D

• Physical Activity

Do you have a nutrition question about an Equal Exchange product or something else? Send an e-mail to Jessica@okeusa.com and we'll answer it in an upcoming issue!

Introducing Equal Exchange Geobars

Geobars were first launched in 1999 by Traidcraft, a U.K.-based alternative trade organization that was working with a group of grape farmers in South Africa. Their first cereal bars were only comprised of 10-20% Fair Trade ingredients (by weight). Twelve years and multiple product changes later, the Geobars of today have over 50% Fair Trade ingredients. This is an amazing accomplishment, and we're proud to now help bring Geobars to the U.S. market. The goal is to someday produce a 100% Fair Trade Geobar! 

Celebrating Women Around the World

By Ashley Symons, Creative Writer & Social Media Coordinator

It's Women's History Month.

In grade school, in March you likely talked about Rosa Parks and Jane Addams, and other women whose names have since been forgotten but who undoubtedly influenced women's rights movements. But what does celebrating women's history look like now, in our daily adult lives? How can we continue to support peace and justice for women globally? 

One simple way is to support Equal Exchange. 

In farming communities, women are often the first ones up and the last to bed, preparing meals for their families, tending to the gardens and livestock, helping with the harvest, and caring for children. Traditional gender roles and a division of labor are common, especially in very rural areas. In working with small farmer co-ops, we support women's skill-building and training, the formation of women's groups, increased female membership in co-ops, and gender diversity in co-op leadership. Progress can be slow, but change is happening and we see it each time we visit producer groups. You'll find some of these stories linked below. 

On International Women's Day, March 8, four of us from Equal Exchange joined other demonstrators on the Mass. Ave bridge for an annual rally to call for an end to violence against women worldwide. 

We brewed up our Congo Coffee, a special coffee that supports women survivors of violence and sexual assault through the Panzi Foundation. See beautiful photos from the day on Women for Women International - Boston's Facebook page. The coffee was distributed to participants from our Free Range Cafe coffee trike, which was a big hit (you might spot one of our coffe trikes around Boston at Copley Square, South Station, or Charles/MGH T-Station).  

It was an empowering day, joining together with co-workers and strangers (new friends!) who were mutually there in support of women - celebrating our ideas, our voices, our full participation in our societies, whether that's at Equal Exchange's employee-owned roastery, or at a coffee co-op in Peru, or a tea garden in India. Together, we're writing our own women's history. 

Watch this short video from Join Women on the Bridge, made by Equal Exchange: 

 

Read more about farmer co-ops' women's groups and rising women leaders:

• The Women of Gumutindo
• Meet Three Mothers from Uganda 
• Congo Coffee Project to Support Congolese Women
• Rising Women Leaders in Coffee
• COCLA's Women's Program
• San Fernando: A Women's Committee in Action

Experiencing Ethiopia through the Cup

Mike Mowry, Coffee Quality Coordinator, and Beth Ann Caspersen, Quality Control Manager, are in Ethiopia for two weeks. Here Mike talks week one and gives us an overview of what's still to come for the two travelers.

Well, folks, Ethiopia has been quite an experience thus far. We've been in Addis Ababa for a week now, and have been running around to different cuppings, conferences, and spending our after-hours time catching up with old friends from the world of specialty coffee.

A lot of the work so far has been preparatory, leading up to several big events in the next week. The annual East African Taste of Harvest Competition, which Beth Ann has been invited to participate in through her work with the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), has begun. As one of the first activities, Beth Ann participated in a cupping calibration with the other judges. A cupping calibration is a super important thing. All of the judges perform a preliminary cupping of different coffees to make sure that they are grading them in a similar manner, and that their scores don't vary too widely. From this they learn how to adapt their scores to better match the other participants. This is crucial to ensuring that the judges’ combined results actually reflect the overall qualities of the coffees in the competition. It is also a familiar exercise for us. We do this very same calibration work with our farmer partners from all around the world. Often, we bring them to Equal Exchange or Beth Ann visits them at source to do this work. Props to CQI. Just like our quality practices at Equal Exchange, they are very thorough in their processes, and we love that.

Upcoming this week, Beth Ann will be performing one of her last apprenticeship requirements to become a licensed Q Instructor. This is a major accomplishment in the professional coffee world, and it's not everyone who gets this far. It takes years of work in specialty coffee, honing your understanding of coffee quality and cupping, and a darn good ability to train and instruct other coffee graders from all over the world. For more information on Q Grading, and CQI, check them out here: http://www.coffeeinstitute.org/

This week is also a big one for me. I'll be representing Equal Exchange, and joining several other cuppers and buyers from the specialty coffee world, in what's being called a Cupping Caravan. Our travels will take us south from Addis Ababa into several of Ethiopia's major coffee growing areas: Yirgachefe and the Sidama Zone, where much of our Ethiopian coffees are sourced (like the naturally processed coffee in our Organic Ethiopian Full City). We'll be heading to Awassa, Yirga Alem, Aleta Wondo, Amaro, and Dila to cup coffees available from the recent harvest. We then return back to Addis Ababa at the end of the week for a final re-cupping of all the samples from the caravan. I'm super excited to taste the harvest, and really looking forward to visiting some of the communities we source from in Ethiopia.

I'll be sure to post some photos for you readers out there, so you can get a glimpse into where our wonderful Ethiopian coffees are grown and processed.

Follow Mike's Ethiopia travels on Twitter @EqExintheCup. Look for the #Mowry hashtag.

To a Mexican Biosphere and Back

Our coffee sourcing specialist, Todd Caspersen, and our brewing equipment guru (and great photographer), Joe Driscoll, were invited to attend a climate change conference hosted by coffee farmers in Mexico, followed by a journey into the remote biosphere preserve El Triunfo. Experience the journey through Todd's pen and Joe's camera lens. Read and see more here.

Equal Exchange in the West Bank

Many of the olive trees are hundreds, even thousands, of years old. For that reason they hold an almost sacred significance for some farmers.  “When I was growing up my father took me with him when he worked in the olive groves,” said Sania Shqeer, a member of Al Zawyeh. “My father has since passed away. But I loved him; and because of that I love our trees.”  

Even though Sania is university-trained as a social worker, she decided to become a farmer when she inerited her father's land. 

Finding Common Ground in Peru

By Jessica Jones-Hughes, Equal Exchange Bananas

You may have heard about food co-op general managers, employees, church members, or Equal Exchange staff making the trek down to the places where coffee, tea and cocoa are grown. In October of 2011, Equal Exchange took our first delegation to see a very different product: bananas!

The banana team invited loyal and long-time Equal Exchange banana supporters on the adventure. The final group included five produce managers of Twin Cities-area co-ops: Dean from the Wedge Co-op, Kim from Valley Natural Foods, Nick from Mississippi Market, Jean from Eastside Food Co-op, and Travis from Seward Co-op.  The weeklong trip to the Northern desert area of Peru was led by Jessica, Phyllis and Scott of Equal Exchange.

The group spent the first day in Piura with the primary-level banana co-op, APOQ, and the next four days with the secondary-level banana co-op, CEPIBO. We met with the co-op’s board of directors, learned about the successes and many challenges of Fair Trade bananas in Peru, saw bananas being harvested on the farms, and observed the washing and packing of bananas into boxes at packing stations. Many questions arose from the small-scale farmers and our group, both parties eager to learn about every aspect of one another’s lives: “What do people think of our bananas in the USA?”, “How much do you sell bananas for?”, “Why did you start growing bananas?”, “What does co-op mean in your country?”. And so on.

One highlight of the trip was spending the night in the homes of farmers, a powerful and humbling experience.  I asked my host, Pedro Navarro Pulache, how his life has changed as a member of the co-op, and he shared a courageous tale.

Years ago, his father passed down the small one-acre plot of land to him. With the land, they grew bananas and sold them nationally, until Dole entered the scene. In 2007, Dole was buying 90% of the organic bananas in the region. The growers enjoyed this until they started to ask Dole for more: better prices, the ability to organize democratically into co-operatives, and for the ability to pack and sell outside of Dole. Dole said no. This did not stop the growers; they began to organize in secret “hiding under the trees so that they would not see us,” he said.

With much pride and perseverance, Fair Trade co-operatives formed, and in 2008, many started to pull away from Dole, independently exporting Fair Trade organic bananas to alternative trading organizations like Equal Exchange. Today Dole is buying only 40% of the bananas in the region and is still trying to break up the co-ops, but with much less power than they previously held. Pedro’s life is improved, but not perfect; he still lives in poverty and hopes that one day consumers will be paying $2 per pound of bananas so that he can enjoy an even better life.

Another powerful moment on the trip was when all of the co-op produce managers agreed to raise their retail prices to consumers to above 0.99 cents/pound! The delegates realized that a tangible next step toward creating real change in Peru and our food system is to pay more for food that is worth it.

I still smile today thinking of the funny stories, cultural lessons and adventures we all had in Peru. My heart warms thinking about the powerful connection made between rural Peruvian banana farmers and Minnesotan produce managers. The most vibrant realization was a moment when everyone recognized that we were all standing on the same side of the fence. Even if we have different backgrounds and current realities, we were all connected and all working for a similar goal: to ignite a revolution in our food system—a goal that can only be accomplished if we continue to work together.

March is Equal Exchange Banana Month, email: info@okeusa.com to learn more about how you can be involved. Learn more at: www.beyondthepeel.com

Tierra Nueva: Fair Trade Opens Doors to New Opportunities

By Molly Zeff, Community Sales Representative

When I’m asked to explain Fair Trade, whether it’s over a holiday meal, chatting with people I meet on the subway, or in front of a congregation, I talk through the benefits of Fair Trade by running through the usual checklist: Credit in the form of pre-harvest financing. Fair Trade premiums. Direct, long-term relationships with farmers. And the one most people know: a stable, minimum, fair price.

It’s easy enough to run through these points in a list while explaining Fair Trade to a new acquaintance, but no amount of studying and explaining Fair Trade can compare with seeing these benefits at work in person. I recently enjoyed one of the most exciting experiences of my life, traveling in Nicaragua with a delegation of U.S. Presbyterians. Our group of 18, including 12 Presbyterian delegates, two Nicaraguan assistant interpreters, a few Presbyterian leaders, and myself, visited the Tierra Nueva co-operative, which means "New Earth" in Spanish. This secondary farmer co-operative (an umbrella organization) serves the needs of six primary farmer co-operatives jointly owned by over 630 hundred Fair Trade coffee farmers.

For all of our collective knowledge of Fair Trade, we were delighted to see that the effects of Fair Trade go far beyond the usual suspects on my above list. So, what do some of these improvements entail?

Women Taking on Leadership Roles in the Co-op

In 2006, only six percent of Tierra Nueva’s members were women. Through trainings in leadership development that were provided to women, that number grew to 15 percent in 2011, and the plan is for five more women to join this year. Each additional female socia (or co-op member) can now vote on policies, propose policy changes, and run for office.

Of course, these rights would only feel symbolic if they weren’t exercised, but fortunately they are: one of the primary co-ops is now managed by a democratically-elected female president. My group’s first question after learning of this development was, “So who’s going to be the first woman president of Tierra Nueva?” Given the changes in just three years, who knows what another three years could bring.

In the meantime, women have already taken the lead in other key areas of the co-operative. Agueda Ordeñana is well-established in her role at Tierra Nueva’s headquarters, which involves being in charge of Rural and Gender Development for the co-op.

At the impressive and expanding mill where thousands of pounds of coffee are processed every year, Yaquelin Torres, 24, is the head cupper for all of Tierra Nueva's six primary co-ops. She was selected for this position after participating in a cupping training program, and since she was the best cupper in the class, she is now in charge of quality control at the co-operative. The co-op continues to train more women to become both members and leaders, and Yaquelin’s appointment to lead cupper is one of many steps on the long road toward gender equality.

Diversifying Income through Chili Peppers 

For a few years Tierra Nueva has been involved in producing honey. So what’s the next step for these entrepreneurial producers? Salsa!

After a rambling, twisting hike in the woods, dodging mud and holding branches aside, we came upon the deceivingly small – and extraordinarily powerful (read: hot!) chili peppers on a sloping hillside near the coffee farms. We quickly learned to be careful when picking these feisty orange peppers. They can set your skin and eyes on fire, but they were grown for a much more practical kind of power these chilis hold: the power to place the co-op in a position of greater financial stability! Diversifying crops will help lower the co-op’s dependence on coffee as their primary source of income. 

We saw the peppers in a field one morning in el campo (the countryside) and stood the following morning inside a fully constructed and well-ventilated building ready for pepper processing. Within a matter of weeks, that building’s floors will be lined with processing equipment that has already been purchased; the chili paste needed for salsa is just a few carefully choreographed steps away. For now, the co-op will create and export the paste to be used in salsa.

So how is this connected to Fair Trade? The chili pepper project was financed with money from the Small Farmer Fund, a fund created by Equal Exchange and the Presbyterian Hunger Program (similar funds exist for all denominational partnerships). Every time a congregation orders any product through its denomination’s Fair Trade project, Equal Exchange makes a donation for every pound of product sold back into the Small Farmer Fund to be used for projects decided upon by the denomination and sometimes by the farmers. The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee contributed startup funds for the chili pepper project from its Small Farmer Fund and the Presbyterian Hunger Program made a substantial donation toward the project this past fall. 

Who knew Fair Trade coffee purchases would lead to Fair Trade salsa?

Employment Programs for Rural Landless Residents 

Another exciting development at Tierra Nueva is the co-op's employment programs for their landless neighbors from the region. Fair Trade works great for farmers, but to join co-operatives, farmers must already own land. Where does that leave landless rural folks?

Fortunately, there are many jobs besides farming that are required in managing a coffee, honey, and now, chili pepper, co-operative. For these roles, Tierra Nueva hires members of the local “poorest-of-the-poor” class, as development institutions often refer to people living on $1/day and with few possessions.

This means that Fair Trade not only ensures that farmers earn a fair living, not only offers small farmers direct access to export markets, and not only offers them a Fair Trade premium and countless other benefits, but it also enables these farmers to reach out within their own communities with employment opportunities.

The co-operative members themselves are unable to fill these positions because they are busy managing their farms and, well, picking coffee. For their landless neighbors, this means jobs are available on a regular basis to dry the coffee, carry it into the warehouse, tend to the greenhouse that supplies flowers for the honey bees to pollinate, and soon, to process chili peppers. We saw the employment program at work when we visited the co-op’s mill: several people were busy spreading out football fields of coffee beans to dry in the glaring Nicaraguan sunlight. And they’re pros: Juan, the past president of Tierra Fertil (one of Tierra Nueva’s primary co-ops), explained that these workers can tell when these beans are at just the right humidity level to be bagged up and stored in floor-to-ceiling stacks that dwarfed our group in the giant warehouse while they awaited roasting.

The steady jobs pay above minimum wage, and as the co-op continues expanding, their workforce will need to expand as well. Employment programs for landless residents are a much-needed step in a country where around 45 percent of people deal with underemployment.

Can Fair Trade Really Be as Good as it Sounds? 

Tierra Nueva has made all of the above improvements in just the past few years, and they are planning to export more coffee, as well as add new products, in the coming years. Needless to say, our delegation was impressed with the improvements these farmers have made in their lives and with their entrepreneurial spirit.

After three days of hearing about all the benefits of Fair Trade from farmers, it sounded like Fair Trade was almost too good to be true. So during one learning session, our group asked Juan, “What are the disadvantages of being involved in Fair Trade?” Juan laughed with one of his characteristic, boisterous smiles and said in Spanish, “Si hay alguno, no los he visto todavía.”

“If there are any, I haven’t seen them yet.”

The next time I’m explaining Fair Trade over a meal or to a stranger on the subway, I’ll be sure to pass along Juan’s message. After all, who is better suited to promote Fair Trade than a farmer himself?