Local Cafe Supports African Cafe With Fair Trade Promo
Posted
Tim Robertson-trobertson@timesuniononline.com
WINONA LAKE - Many in Kosciusko County like a hot cup of coffee on a brisk fall morning.
But, how many think about the farmer who grew the coffee beans? Did he get a good enough price so that he can afford to send his children to school, provide good nutrition for his family and maintain his farm?
Those are the questions Aaron Wilcoxson, manager of 1000 Park Bakery Café, hopes to encourage as his cafe observes Fair Trade Month this month.
Ten percent of all 1000 Park's coffee sales during October will be contributed to Kopo Café in Bangui, Central African Republic.
Kopo Café is a micro-enterprise development that will provide jobs to local residents as well as coffee farmers in the region. Wilcoxson said he got connected with Kopo through Grace Brethren International Missions, Winona Lake.
"I knew Fair Trade Month was coming up," he said. "I got to thinking that GBIM is a great local resource, so I called them up."
Wilcoxson said he worked with GBIM Chief Development Officer Ted Rondeau to connect with the Kopo Café project.
"This project was really appealing to me because it was another café and it has job creation written into its business plan," Wilcoxson said.
How does helping Kopo Café help the fair trade cause? All coffee served in the Kopo Café will be brewed from beans grown locally in the Central African Republic. The café will buy the beans at a price that will guarantee living wages to growers.
Many small-scale farmers throughout the third world don't receive a fair price for their crops, and as a result, often become indebted just to stay in business. These rural enterprises may end up selling their crops below cost to opportunistic middlemen. This cycle of debt causes many to abandon their agricultural heritage, harming the delicate, cultural fabric of the communities in which they live.
Wilcoxson said awareness of the plight of these small-scale farmers can be part of the solution.
The Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International is a consortium of fair trade groups around the world who are dedicated to improving the lives and communities of small family farmers in developing countries.
FLO helps develop standards that importers, manufacturers and distributors observe to support small farms with fair pricing, environmental protection and social development. Only products that meet FLO's standards are allowed to display the Fair Trade Certified label on packaging.
1000 Park Bakery Cafe sells only fair-trade coffees because, Wilcoxson said, the more people buy fair trade products, the easier it will become for growers to receive a fair price for their crops.
For more information about FLO, visit www.fairtrade.net For more information about the Kopo Café, call Rondeau at 574-268-1888, Ext. 29.
