Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Featured Donor: DaVinci Gourmet

DaVinci Gourmet, the industry leader in gourmet syrups, is that rare company that extends support of the specialty coffee industry through the entire chain of supply – from coffee growers to beverages served worldwide. Whether it is sponsoring a myriad of barista competitions or providing menu and technical support to small cafes, many witness first hand DaVinci’s support. In particular is their exceptional support of Coffee Kids.

Since 2006, DaVinci Gourmet has been a major sponsor of Coffee Kids, contributing over $500,000 with the funds channeled toward the organization’s quality of life programs in coffee communities. Through this level of contribution, Coffee Kids has been able to not only maintain, but also expand its program, reaching over 3,200 families served by Coffee Kids’ 12 partners in Latin America.

“We are very committed to the specialty coffee industry on many levels. Through Coffee Kids we are able to help and support those who are vital to this industry, the families who grow the beans. With this relationship we can affect the lives of those thousands of miles away, creating a connection,” said Jennifer Faren, brand manager at DaVinci Gourmet.

DaVinci Gourmet syrups are used throughout the United States and internationally in specialty coffee drinks. Their commitment to coffee-farming families is an investment in the future of coffee.

“We know first hand the intricacy of the coffee process, from farm to cup and therefore understand the essential part each and every family plays in the global coffee economy and the need to sustain themselves for future growth,” Faren said.

Besides monetary support, DaVinci Gourmet further promotes Coffee Kids to others with a mention on every bottle, POP materials and the company’s website and publicity materials (http://www.davincigourmet.com).

“The impact of DaVinci Gourmet’s support has put Coffee Kids at another level. Thanks to them, awareness of our efforts to help families and the resources to put the programs in place have increased substantially,” said Coffee Kids’ Executive Director Carolyn Fairman.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Indigenous Rights and Development in Peru

On June 5th and 6th, clashes between indigenous protestors and government forces over land rights in the northern Bagua Province of Peru resulted in a number of people on both sides dead (“Fatal Clashes Erupt in Peru at Roadblock,” The New York Times). On the surface, the origin of this problem appears to be in who controls natural resources, but the true nature of the conflict is based in a lack of education and opportunity in indigenous communities and lack of understanding or interest on the part of the government and large corporations.

As in many indigenous areas, land managed by indigenous groups cannot be taken or used by the government or outside companies without first consulting and receiving approval from the communities there.

For more than 30 years, pueblos in the Bagua Province have solicited the government for property titles to ensure these rights and protect their land from mining and petroleum interests. However, transnational companies have found ways to exert their influence on the government and gain access to these indigenous lands. Two recent decrees opened indigenous lands to mining and petroleum companies.

On this occasion, the Peruvian government ran into a well-organized indigenous movement. Protesters illegally blocked roads and threatened to cut natural gas and oil pipelines to Lima, which led to confrontations between government security forces and protesters. As a result, the government decrees were suspended, but indigenous groups are girding themselves for a protracted legal battle.

It’s sad to see this news, especially given the effort that the coffee farmers of Peru have put forward in the past 15 years. In February, I traveled there to follow up with our partners. During the visit, I also had the chance to learn about other coffee communities in the northern part of the country around the community of Jaen, in the Bagua Province, site of some of the conflict.

A lot of work has been done in this country to regain ground as one of the most important coffee producers in the Americas. Between 1993 and 1994, many of the largest cooperatives collapsed due to administrative problems, low coffee prices and other problems. But through hard work and dedication, coffee production in Peru has grown by 50%. Coffee now represents 25% of the value of all exports from the country.

The cultivation of coffee in indigenous communities is common, which obliges organizations like Coffee Kids who work in the community to understand their traditions, their unique culture and their worldview. But above all, it is important to collaborate with these groups in the inevitable process of global integration.

Many of the problems at the root of these dramatic confrontations are not just the result of an oppressive government, but more a result of few educational opportunities in indigenous communities. Without the ability to operate in the political climate in which many indigenous groups find themselves, they cannot properly defend their rights.

In my opinion, a possible solution is not to give the indigenous groups free reign over the land or grant unrestricted business development, but provide sufficient educational opportunities to indigenous communities so they can defend their land rights and utilize their resources wisely.

The best social projects in these areas are those that answer immediate needs of the people and help them gain access to the tools to properly defend their rights, make strategic decisions and create a better future for the next generations.

Read more about this issue here:
“Protesters Gird for Long Fight Over Opening Peru’s Amazon,” The New York Times

“Peruvian Police Accused of Massacring Indigenous Protesters in Amazon Jungle,” Democracy Now

“Images reveal full horror of ‘Amazon’s Tiananmen’,” The Independent

Meet up with FBG - Percol in the UK

On her way to the SCAE (Specialty Coffee Association of Europe) conference in Cologne, Germany, Coffee Kids Executive Director Carolyn Fairman made a stop in the UK to visit with our friends Brian Chapman and Kirsty McDonald of Food Brands Group.

Food Brands Group and its Percol Fairtrade and Organic Coffee were partners with Coffee Kids in launching the Coffee Kids UK charity and have been ardent Coffee Kids supporters over the years.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Saving for the Future in Oaxaca

When women in the community of Los Naranjos told me about their daily schedule, waking at 4 am and going to bed at 10 pm, I realized that my 7-hour trip down bumpy roads to arrive there couldn’t be compared to the challenges these women face every day.

May 21-22, I visited three Coffee Kids-sponsored microcredit and saving groups with Nelly Zárate, project coordinator with Coffee Kids’ partner Fostering Community Initiatives in Coffee Regions (FomCafé). The organization works with coffee-growing communities in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, and we have partnered with them since 2000. In that time, they have created and implemented projects in edible mushroom production, microcredit and savings, family gardens, organic honey production and health care. (Learn more about FomCafé here.)

Nelly introduced me to microcredit and savings groups in the towns of Tierra Blanca and San Jacinto that began in early 2009 and the Los Naranjos group that has three years of experience in microcredit.

Upon arrival in the first town of Tierra Blanca, we were served a delicious breakfast that included the local delicacy, ‘Chicatana’ sauce, which is made of queen ants that only emerge at the beginning of the rainy season.

Tierra Blanca is not entirely a coffee area. The community is located at 1400 meters above sea level, but many people have coffee bushes in the lowlands. During the morning we organized some activities to learn more about the strengths and challenges confronted by the savings group there.

“I feel happy that we have the microcredit group. With the credit I obtain, I can buy cheese in the next town and sell it here because we have no cheese in our community,” said Mrs. Valentina Pérez Herníndez, an outspoken and active woman. “We are just starting our group, but the earnings from the cheese help me care for my youngest son who is seven and my grandson who is five.”

In the afternoon, we visited Los Naranjos where the experienced microcredit group was waiting for us. This group recently decided to create a butcher-shop in town with the savings they have accrued.

Due to their remote location, a butcher only visits twice a month and the meat is not fresh. During the conversation I realized how FomCafé’s project not only provides participants with access to low-interest credit, but also promotes the teamwork and solidarity necessary to carry out new initiatives.

On the second day, our meeting in the village of San Jacinto was conducted in Spanish and Zapotec, a local indigenous language. Eight of the 12 participants only spoke Zapotec.

Many of the women in this group are the heads of their households since most of their husbands have migrated or died. FomCafé’s work provides them with new opportunities for greater income and stability in their lives.

My trip back to Oaxaca felt much different and the meetings I had reminded me of how it is possible to create with very little and how microcredit and saving initiatives can gradually change peoples’ lives.

See more photos from our trip on Coffee Kids’ Flickr page.