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November 2009
A Cooperative Coffees e-Newsletter for and about Fair Trade
Issue No. 17 November 2009
In this issue...
Reach out!
Before getting swept up into the fast approaching holiday season, here's a review of November and a recap of some of the fun and busyness of the month! Our roasters have been making the news with Cafe Campesino's grand opening of its "Sweet Auburn" cafe in Atlanta...and Kickapoo Coffee's grand award - Roast Magazine named them the 2010 Micro-Roaster of the Year! Meanwhile, Higher Grounds has also been reaching new horizons - with a fact-finding trip to visit Fair Trade olive oil producers in Palestine!
In other travel news, Coop Coffees had an amazing and successful visit in Sumatra. Despite both distance and language challenges - we show how trips like this can open up communication channels with smaller, up-and-coming Fair Trade coops in the Aceh province (where the famed Gayo coffee comes from).
And planning ahead, we're hoping to put communication on a whole other level as we look forward to the 2010 Coop Sol AGM. We expect the majority of Coop Coffees members and producer partners will be gathered together in Peru for a fast-paced and fun-filled week of meetings, field visits, and lots of information exchange! The meetings will take place in January 2010... so stay tuned for more details!
Thanks and enjoy your read!
Let us know what changes you'd like to see in this newsletter by emailing us at bignews@coopcoffees.com.
Outreach and Communications
Coop Sol's headed to Peru for the annual general meeting!
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We're thrilled to announce that the upcoming 2010 Coop Sol Annual Assembly will be held in Peru! We'll begin the event with meetings and round-table discussions in Lima. Then AGM participants -- both members and allies of Coop Sol -- will split into two groups for field visits with our Peruvian producer partners. Cepicafe and Cenfrocafe in the northern regions will host one group, while Pangoa in the central Amazon region will welcome the other. The AGM will go from January 14-22 and we expect it to be a productive and unique experience for everyone involved! |
Roaster News
Cafe Campesino moves into Atlanta with "Sweet Auburn"!
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It's an exciting time for Cafe Campesino -- and for all the Atlanta folk who will benefit -- as they expand beyond Americus city limits and open a new coffeehouse in Atlanta, GA! "Sweet Auburn" officially opened Oct. 31; but the Grand Opening celebration took place November 14th. It was an unique opportunity to bring together Café Campesino friends from across the state and expose Atlanta coffee enthusiasts to Georgia’s first 100% fair trade coffee company! |
Kickapoo scores Roast Magazines 2010 Micro-Roaster of the Year award!
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In the coffee business, getting recognized by Roast magazine is a stunning achievement in anybody's book. In a recent publication, the magazine awarded Coop Coffees' own Kickapoo Coffee with the highly coveted title of "Micro-Roaster of the Year" for 2010. We are SO proud of TJ, Denise, Caleb and their whole team. It's roasters like Kickapoo (and the rest of the CC members!) who show that Fair Trade and high quality can go hand-in-hand to create a delicious, sustainable...and award-winning cup of coffee! |
Producer News
New partnerships in Sumatra
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In a recent trip to Sumatra, Coop Coffees had the pleasure of meeting with several newly established -- and certified -- coops. APKO (Asosiasi Petani Kopi Organik), along with their exporter, Ujang Jaya, was one of the groups we connected with and with whom we will explore importing coffee for the 2009-2010 season. This is the beginning of what we hope to be a good, strong, and direct partnership for many years to come! |
Travel: Where in the world is Coop Coffees?
Sumatra: untangling the mysterious world of coffee
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Earlier this month, Coop Coffees' Bill Harris and Florent Gout flew across the globe to meet with several coffee cooperatives located in the Aceh province of the island of Sumatra. Despite the high international demand for Sumatran coffee and the high volumes of it that get exported, it is one of the most mysterious countries of origin for coffee importers. Likewise, many of the small, isolated coops in Aceh have little access to information about the international and Fair Trade, organic markets. There is still much to learn on both sides of this partnership but this trip sparked a valuable and much-needed exchange of information that will continue as our relationship with these coops grows! |
Higher Grounds explores Fair Trade olive oil in Palestine
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The world of Fair Trade just keeps on growing...and getting tastier! In a recent trip to Palestine, Higher Grounds' Chris Treter explored the ins and outs of Fair Trade olive oil that is being produced by over 1,700 small farmers in the regions of Nablus, Ramallah, and Jenin. By empowering rural communities through traditional farming methods and sustainable trade partnerships, Fair Trade olive oil is slowly but surely making a difference in the lives of Palestinian farmers. |
The latest in the Fair Trade movement
Direct Terroir welcomes Chilean Fair Trade wine producers to Quebec
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Direct Terroir, a Fair Trade wine importer (and one of Coop Sol's Fair Trade office mates!) welcomed two representatives from Lautaro, an worker-owned association of producers located in Curico in central Chile. A wine tasting was held at the "Labo Equitable" (Fair Trade Lab) and an intimate group of wine -- and Fair Trade! -- aficionados met to listen to Raul and Eugenio speak about their association and the benefits it has brought to its members in the plus 10 years it has been selling fair trade wine! To learn more about Direct Terroir, visit their site here... |
