TWENTY YEARS TWENTY YEARS - Equal Exchange

c o m m u n i t y b u i l d i n gBuilding a CommunityTen years ago, the Equal Exchange Organizing Department was a mere experiment. In1996, Equal Exchange hired its first organizer, Virginia Berman, to research variousquestions, the most vital of which being “If enough shoppers knew the difference betweenEqual Exchange and other coffees, would they choose the Fair Trade brand?” After hundredsof coffee tastings and conversations withengaged shoppers and activists at farmersmarkets and food co-ops across the country,it became clear that Americans would notonly choose Equal Exchange, they woulddemand it. We needed a new department tocommunicate our mission to consumers, andthe Equal Exchange Organizing Team wasborn. Today the Organizing Team holdscoffee, chocolate, and tea tastings in storesand cafes, a total of 300 in 2006. Organizingalso runs a community events program,which offers thousands of cups of coffee andchocolates to folks at conferences, concerts,and festivals each year, some 65,000 cups of coffee in 2006.Michelle Ford, left, Daniel Steinberg, right, and KevinHollender, back, at Greenfest, San FranciscoThe Equal Exchange Organizing Department works closely with the grassroots communityby assisting advocates in hosting house parties which introduce friends and neighbors to ourproducts and our mission. The team offers resources to activists who want to see more storescarrying Equal Exchange products. In 2006, the Organizing Team launched its latestinitiative: its Fundraising Program. During the past year, 120 parents, PTA presidents,teachers, and Equal Exchange customers chose to feature Equal Exchange products over theconventional fundraising items used to raise money for their children’s schools. After tenyears of grassroots organizing, Equal Exchange’s committed enthusiasts now number in thehundreds of thousands and are poised to delve even deeper into the work of transforming theworld. –Susan Sklar and Virginia BermanI N T E R V I E W W I T H :Tadesse MeskelaGeneral Manager, OromiaCoffee Cooperative Union(OCFCU), EthiopiaThe OCFCU, which has 75,000members from 101 co-operativesis featured in the documentary film “Black Gold.”The movie was screened at dozens of independenttheatres this past year and will continue to beshown in 2007. The OCFCU is an Equal Exchangeproducer partner.“In 2004, because of Fair Trade, OCFCUstarted to receive a better income than whatwe had received in the conventional market.This has changed the lives of our farmerssignificantly. Before Fair Trade, people used towalk 15 to 30 kilometers to a nearby schoolor to a health center. Because of Fair Tradethere is now a health center in their village,a school, and a clean water supply station.But this is just start. There are only four cooperativesthat benefit from the school andthe health center; and we have more than100 co-operatives.Fair Trade is just asking a fair price for ourproducts. The price of coffee has stayed lowwhile the price of other commodities hasincreased. We don’t ask for charity; we askfor the right price for our products…Oncepeople see our film, Black Gold, I’m hopingthat they will think of the grower every daywhen they their drink coffee, because farmersare living hard, miserable lives. We’re hopingthat everyone will care enough to pay morefor Fair Trade coffee.”2002Equal Exchange begins a unique partnershipwith the Canadian Fair Trade Pioneer,La Siembra, and with the CONACADOCooperative in the Dominican Republic.The Hot Cocoa mix is introduced.2003Farmer co-op in Mexico bringsproducer partnerships to new levelwith a significant investment in EqualExchange. Baking Cocoa is introduced.12