Friday, March 26, 2010

Free Markets, Food Aid and the Effect on the Poor

A couple recent articles prompted me to look at the topic of how food aid and free markets impact the poor. On Fast Company, a video was posted called “How the Global Food Market Starves the Poor.” The video is a simplified study in how food aid and free markets can actually undercut local production of food and increase dependence on foreign aid and trade. Then today, I saw an article on the earthquake aftermath in Haiti titled, “Food Dependency Is Poverty Trap For Quake – Hit Haiti.”

One of the quotes that stood out for me was, “Experts now acknowledge that the influx over the past two decades of subsidized cheaper farm imports, ushered in by World Bank and International Monetary Fund free-trade policies that obliged Haiti to open its markets, delivered a virtual death blow to Haitian agriculture from which it has never recovered.” According to the article, Haiti spends 80% of revenues on food imports.

Both the video and the article reaffirm the importance of Coffee Kids’ work. By supporting locally managed projects that communities create and implement themselves, Coffee Kids ensures that local needs are being met and directly addressed. Many of our partners are working to create more sustainable local food systems and educating families on the importance of nutrition. Food sovereignty projects help families look beyond the price to learn where their food comes from and how that impacts their community. Armed with this knowledge, they can make informed choices for their families.

An article on food sovereignty will come out soon in “WorldView Magazine” on the work of our partner Self-Managed Development (AUGE). If you get a chance, check it out. You can also read about Yolanda Vázquez, a participant in AUGE’s food sovereignty and microcredit projects in our blog.

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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Voice from the Field: Yolanda Vázquez

Yolanda Vázquez Colorado is a 54-year-old mother of two in the community of Cetlalpa, Veracruz, Mexico. She participates in Coffee Kids-supported microcredit and food sovereignty projects managed by our partner AUGE. See pictures and read more about the project on our Flickr page.

“I have participated in microcredit and saving groups with AUGE for four years already. I use my savings to help my sons who are attending high school. With the savings I can pay tuition and other school materials.

“My sons have small scholarships, but sometimes the money doesn’t arrive on time, so I take a loan to pay the school or I use loans to buy materials or things that the teachers request. Also, I use the money to buy medicine.

“What I like the most about the group is that we have easy access to money. I know I ask the group and they are willing to lend me the money quickly. In other places, even if I had the chance to get credit, the interest rates would be too high for me. Belonging to the microcredit and savings group is important for me.

“I have always worked at home. I have some chicken and pigs that I raise to sell or use at home. I don’t need to buy eggs or meat. This year, I am participating in AUGE’s Food Sovereignty project. I want to cultivate my own vegetables at home.

“I really like this project because I grow my own food and I know where it comes from. Many women in my group want to do this project because it’s healthier for our families and we can save money by producing our own food.

“The most important thing we do in these groups is support each other. We all have many ideas about how to improve our family income, but we also know that we have to transform those ideas into action and get started. I like my group because we can change those ideas into projects that help our families.”

To learn how you can support our efforts, visit our donate page.

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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Featured Donor: Our Supporters in the Press and Online

Each month, every day, magazines and websites in the coffee industry spread the word about Coffee Kids by donating ad space. Given Coffee Kids’ limited resources, these placements help us promote our work and accomplishments and attract interest from new contributors.

“All of these publications recognize the important role Coffee Kids plays in helping coffee-farming families and have been extremely thoughtful and giving,” said Kyle Freund, communication manager at Coffee Kids. “We appreciate all of the exposure and support we receive.”

Special thanks to ad space contributors:
Barista
BeanScene Magazine
Coffee & Cocoa International
CoffeeTalk Magazine and the Daily Dose
Fresh Cup
Roast
Saveur Magazine Online
Specialty Coffee Retailer
The Sprudge Report
Tea and Coffee Trade Journal

All ad space donors receive recognition in the Coffee Kids newsletter; contributions are tax-deductible. If interested in helping Coffee Kids spread the word, contact or call 505-820-1443.

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Friday, March 12, 2010

InterAmerican Sponsors 2010 SCAA Reception

InterAmerican Coffee is the sponsor of the Coffee Kids Reception at the 22nd Annual Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Exposition in Anaheim, CA. The event will be held on Friday, April 16 from 5-7pm, in Ballroom A of the Anaheim Convention Center.

“It’s great to have our friends from InterAmerican Coffee on board for this event,” said Carolyn Fairman, executive director of Coffee Kids. “The reception will be a great opportunity for people to learn about our partners in Latin America, and network with others in the world of specialty coffee.”

At the reception, Coffee Kids will highlight The Rural Children’s Education Foundation of Costa Rica, a longtime Coffee Kids partner that has provided scholarship opportunities to thousands of students from coffee-farming communities. Coffee Kids Executive Director Carolyn Fairman, InterAmerican CEO and President Guy Burdett and other special guests will also present a brief program about Coffee Kids work. Light refreshments and cash bar will be available.

InterAmerican Coffee is a strong supporter of Coffee Kids’ mission to help coffee-farming families improve their quality of life. The company is an importer and distributor of high-quality green coffee.

“As an importer and distributor of coffee, the work Coffee Kids does helps us connect with the producers and contribute directly to an improved quality of life,” said Guy Burdett, President and CEO of InerAmerican Coffee.

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Seeing it Firsthand: Board Visits Oaxaca, Pt. 2

Coffee Kids Board Member, Bill Mares. recently traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, to visit one of Coffee Kids’ partners and learn more about our efforts. He shares a bit of his visit below. Coffee Kids Board President Guy Burdett, who traveled on the trip, also contributed a blog entry here.

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Two weeks ago, several Coffee Kids board members tagged along with staff to watch how one of our partner organizations works with indigenous farmers in a remote region of the Mexican state of Oaxaca.

CAMPO, the acronym of the 20-year old group, began as a quasi-political entity to help indigenous people fight social and economic oppression at the local and national levels. Ten years ago they switched their focus to technical assistance, environmental protection and women’s empowerment in some 60 rural communities across the entire state.

In a poor land, CAMPO works with some of the poorest. Illiteracy is over 40 percent. The average wage is less than $4 per day.

In Santo Tomas Texas, a community of 100 families, we saw a microcosm of the challenges that CAMPO and the people face. First of all, it’s remote, six hours from the capital of Oaxaca down white-knuckle mountain roads with enough hairpin turns to run a beauty shop. Political scientists and sociologists would quail at the overlapping governmental jurisdiction, ambiguous land tenure rights, and complex social customs.

Undaunted, the CAMPO staff has helped develop a range of activities to supplement coffee income. There were greenhouses to extend the growing season, composting with red worms, chicken-raising, and smallscale fish-farming. Some farmers were even producing rare and valuable honey from stingless bees.

To me, the most fascinating experience was to observe the community discussions between CAMPO staff and people in the villages. CAMPO staff know they walk a fine line between inviting questions and giving advice, between nurturing leaders and anointing them. As we all do, they struggled to find the right words to use in “constructive criticism.” Just as important, they had to know when to be silent, and listen.

Gradually, people spoke up. First, it was objective matters, like repairing green houses, or building a community center. Then they moved on to some of their fears. The coffee crop was way down this year, said one man. “Some people have migrated to the city. A couple of farmers came close to suicide.”

They knew they needed alternatives but, as one said, “We are slaves to coffee. It’s what we know. We want to improve the quality of our coffee to get a better price.

One of supplements to coffee income is honey production. A group of women had formed their own group of beekeepers. One woman said, “The bees sting me. So what! I can earn good money selling the honey!”

One young man about 25 just back from the States where he worked for six years. After thanking CAMPO, he said, “I came back to live and help in this village. “The United States is a beautiful place, but you suffer a lot there. I’m glad to be home.”

Check out pictures from the trip on Flickr.

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Monday, March 08, 2010

Seeing it Firsthand: Board Visits Oaxaca

Coffee Kids Board President and President and CEO of InterAmerican Coffee, Guy Burdett, recently traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, to visit one of Coffee Kids’ partners and learn more about our efforts. He shares a bit of his visit below.

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In July of 2009, I joined the board of Coffee Kids. Last week, I traveled with Bill Mares, another Coffee Kids board member and Carolyn Fairman, executive director at Coffee Kids to Oaxaca, Mexico, to visit a couple of communities where Coffee Kids has projects.

On our first stop, we met Coffee Kids’ local partner CAMPO. Their programs focus on sustainable agriculture, ecology and food security. At CAMPO’s offices we learned about some of their projects, including: composting, greenhouses, construction using compacted earth, solar energy and chicken-raising, among other things. We then traveled with CAMPO to a couple of the communities to see the projects in action.

These projects give families options for additional sources of income so that the communities are not as dependent on income from coffee. Also, some of these programs provide additional food sources to support a healthier lifestyle.

This trip was very enlightening for me. I saw firsthand the struggles that smallholder coffee farmers face everyday. I have a new appreciation and understanding of the challenges these communities confront. The challenges are many, but with the help of organizations like Coffee Kids, they can be addressed and overcome.

Check out pictures from our trip on Flickr.

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