Small Business Coffee

Many of our efforts to promote and advance sustainability demonstrate our belief that individuals, companies, communities, and organizations can achieve more working together than apart. This belief demonstrates itself through our working environment, volunteerism program as well as our grantmaking programs. In a recent press release, USAID and Mercy Corps announced our involvment in the public-private alliance to work together to improve the lives of small-scale farmers and thier families in Guatemala. Below is an exceprt from the press release put out by USAID and Mercy Corps: 

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the global humanitarian agency Mercy Corps are pleased to announce  the addition of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) and Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung (HRNS) in an alliance to improve the lives of small-scale farmers and their families in Guatemala. The alliance, known as the Inclusive Market Alliance for Rural Entrepreneurs (IMARE), is part of the U.S. Government's Feed the Future Presidential Initiative that supports Guatemala's "Zero Hunger Pact" to significantly reduce the high rates of poverty and chronic malnutrition that characterize the Western Highland region of the country.

The public-private alliance supports community-based interventions that allow rural agriculture producers to overcome barriers and access larger commercial markets. Evidence demonstrates that this support enables small scale farmers to increase their household food and nutritional security.

"We have seen the power of this alliance create tremendous opportunities for small-scale farmers to become productive and prosperous entrepreneurs," said Peter Loach, Mercy Corps Country Director for Guatemala. "We are thrilled to be able to expand this project to now meet the needs of vulnerable coffee producers and their families in the region."

According to a United Nations World Food Program study, Guatemala has the highest rate of chronic malnutrition in Latin America and the fourth highest in the world. Rural small-scale farmers in Guatemala face multiple obstacles to access profitable markets for their products and often lack the tools and knowledge to improve their family's nutrition. This alliance uses a multi-pronged approach that not only tackles rural poverty but also raises community awareness around the importance of a diversified diet and good nutrition practices.

"GMCR is a believer in the power of public-private partnerships and their ability to enlist needed resources to overcome some of the developing world's greatest challenges. We are pleased to join USAID in supporting this Mercy Corps project in Guatemala that seeks to provide small-scale coffee farmers with better market access as they attempt to diversify their sources of income," said Rick Peyser, GMCR's Director of Social Advocacy and Supply Chain Community Outreach.

The three-year grant from GMCR will expand the alliance to work with 500 coffee farming families to improve nutrition as well as agricultural production and business management techniques. Farmers will participate in tailored educational sessions on safe handling of pesticides, use of new varieties, seed spacing, water and social conservation, and best practices for storage and handling. They will also receive training and technical assistance in nutrition, climate change and gender balance as a best practice.

GMCR's financial support also helps leverage matching funds from USAID's Global Development Alliance for public-private partnerships. According to Mark Visocky, Director of the Office of Economic Growth at USAID Guatemala, "the alliance with GMCR brings substantial resources to bear in Guatemala for the Feed the Future Initiative and brings us all closer to the goal of reducing chronic malnutrition and poverty in the Western Highlands. USAID Guatemala welcomes and encourages new alliances with the private sector to assist the people of the Western Highlands escape the cycle of poverty and malnutrition that has plagued the region for decades."

 

This past weekend was the 10^th Annual Let’s Talk Coffee, an annual event hosted by our friends at Sustainable Harvest (a coffee importer based in Portland, OR).  Every year, Sustainable Harvest brings together its own farmers, exporters, roasters (like us!), banks, non-profits, and other interested people for four days of coffee talk -- presentations, panels, round tables, business meetings, lots of coffee, and field trips to coffee farms. We were excited to finally meet some of the Arhuaco Indians from northern Colombia who are part of ASOANEI, one of our Fair Trade Organic suppliers.

 

Pictured are (me), Aurora Maria Izquierdo, her son Jorge, and Lindsey Bolger. They were as excited as we were that we were buying their coffee as they didn’t initially know who their buyer was. As a gift, Aurora gave Lindsey and me “assurance” bracelets – two small white cloth wrist bands with a little bead in each one (one white and one black). They were made in their community and blessed by their shaman (for lack of a better word) to make sure that we didn’t forget them nor stop buying coffee from them. Rest assured, I won’t forget: it was the highlight of my visit.

As Director of Social Advocacy and Supply Chain Community Outreach in our CSR Department I frequently travel to source to check on our coffee growing communities and the programs that assist them. I find that being there firsthand gives me a much clearer insight on how we can best help our supply chain, and I have watched our supply chain and initiatives make huge development strides over the last 24 years.

The following notes are a part of an eye-opening part of my latest trip. It feels amazing to see what changes we can actually make in our world to improve normal people's lives.

 -Rick

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Wednesday, July 18: 

Bill, Jonathan, Paula, and I left our hotel in Guatemala City, Guatemala at 6 a.m. for an 5 hour drive to the village of Copan Ruinas in Honduras, where we met an employee of the nearby Santa Rosa de Copan dry mill, and traveled to the mill.  After, we met Omar Rodriguez, General Manager of COCAFCAL (a coffee coop we work with) located in Capucas, Honduras. Omar then led us on our journey to Capucas in 4-wheel drive pickup trucks.  I had previously spent 3 weeks as a volunteer in this small mountainous community in 2005 and 2006 to help this young co-op develop a marketing plan and make market linkages.  GMCR is now purchasing coffee from COCAFCAL, and the community is one of those being served by a GMCR-sponsored Heifer International project in the region.

 When we finally arrived in Capucas, I was amazed by the changes that have taken place since my last visit.  In 2005 the co-op had 75 members; it now has over 800 members!  In 2005, it sold 1 container of coffee; in 2011 it sold over 100 containers.  In 2005 it had no certified coffee.  Today, it has organic, Fair Trade, Bird Friendly, and Rainforest Alliance certifications.

During my first year as a volunteer I lived in a long cinder block building, just off the beneficio's drying patio that had 3 rooms: a room with 2 chest freezers (used to freeze chickens from a Plan International project), a storage room, and finally my 15' x 15' room with a cinder block bathroom and cold shower.  My "home" was now engulfed in a large 2-story co-op office building that houses a cupping lab, an espresso cafe, QC rooms, offices, and more. 

 

My "Home", 2005	New Office Building, 2012

 

In addition significant improvements have been made in the wet mill and dry mill that have improved the capacity of the co-op and the quality of the coffee processed. 

 After visiting the co-op buildings, we drove to the buildings where we would stay.  We arrived at a small compound of 3 cottages (all brand new) that had two bedrooms, an open area with a flat screen TV, and a full kitchen.  Most amazing was the presence of two swimming pools!  This compound was built by Omar's family to support the co-op and with the hope of developing an eco-tourism business.  Celaque, a pristine national park, is within hiking distance of the community.

 While we were in Capucas, we had all of our meals with Omar's family.  It was great spending time with them again.  They were a wonderful host family during my prior visits, and it was great to see how their coop had improved with the help of some of our CSR programs!

During the past couple days, while email and phone calls have slowed down in the office, my coworkers and I started to reminisce about the past year at GMCR. It is a wonderful experience working at a growing company, but it was nice to slow down a bit this week and look back at some of the highpoints for us working in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department.  

For me, it’s all about the growth. As our business has grown, so has our 5% fund. We’ve expanded our reach exponentially since I started with the company 5 years ago. There are more resources to grant to deserving non-profits in coffee-growing communities and in new supply chains. We’ve started employee community grant programs at our Employee Sites throughout the U.S. Our department has also grown – welcoming 3 new members to the CSR this year. It is truly amazing to see the ongoing development of our CSR programs.

Liz Dohrman, Enterprise Volunteerism Specialist

Working on the domestic team in our CSR department, I know a lot about our work in coffee growing communities but had never had the chance to see the projects we support in person. In December I had the opportunity to visit Nicaragua as part of this year’s employee source trip. In a little town called San Ramon, we met children attending Coffee Camp. Coffee Camps were started by a small, Vermont-based non-profit called Planting Hope. Parents who work in the fields to harvest coffee frequently leave their young children at home alone. Coffee Camps offer a safe place for kids to go during their school vacation. Instead of being left home alone in remote areas, they go to camp where snacks and a meal are provided and a school-like curriculum is presented, with a little fun thrown in, too. Meeting these kids was incredible. Many live in remote areas in meager conditions with few possessions. We had the opportunity to play with them and see how happy they are, despite the many challenges facing them. I’m very proud to work for a company that supports projects like Planting Hope’s Coffee Camps.

Eliza Dodd, Domestic Community Outreach

One of my 2011 highlights was participating in GMCR’s River Clean-Up week! It is a great opportunity for employees to get out and give back to our local communities. I had a blast digging tires out of the river, paddling down the Winooski, and meeting folks from other departments in the company.

Mary Beth Jenssen, Supply-Chain Outreach

When thinking back on my first year as a GMCR employee, the part that sticks out in my mind above the rest is the people. Stated many times, but all too often unproven, is the importance of great coworkers.  GMCR has a culture that values collaboration, open dialogue and growth that is proven through its employees. I have never met a coworker that I didn’t like and have been fortunate enough to have made many friends over the last 11 months and that is  a rare thing to find at work. Having wonderful coworkers can be a reason you come in to work each day, a reason you stay with the company rather than looking to move out, a reason you are able to accomplish a seemingly impossible project. 2011 at GMCR has been filled with wonderful coworkers that showed me what it means to work at a great place.

Thank you for following our work throughout the year.

And Happy New Year!

This past Saturday we held the grand reopening of the Green Mountain Coffee^® Visitors Center and Café - and what a great success it was!  All day long folks stopped by to check things out, see our revitalized space, and warm up (it was only 25-degrees out) with a steaming cup of coffee. Some lucky customers even walked away with great prizes including gift bags full of Green Mountain Coffee goodies (and even a Keurig® brewer or two).

We have to say: The Café staff did a spectacular job reopening the doors. Their friendly greetings and glowing faces really added to the enjoyment of the day. To say the least, we are so happy to see them back in action – particularly when they walked around with a selection of tasty treats was provided by Joan Grenier of Grenier’s Home Bakery.  Yum!

What’s a celebration without music?  Harwood Unions High School’s own a capella group, I Cantori, stopped by and captivated listeners with a selection of holiday favorites on the front porch. True professionals, the group sounded perfect - even in chilly temperatures!

Inspired by the occasion (and by the joyous music), Megan Smith, Vermont’s Commissioner of Tourism & Marketing, spoke about Waterbury and the importance of small towns in Vermont. Revitalizing Waterbury presented Ernie Pomerleau with a community services award for his work in Waterbury – thanks, Ernie!  Missy Gorham, the Café’s Manager, also got the chance to speak, sharing how very happy she is to be back in business after three months of hard work to get everything up and running again. Finally, the group raised their mugs in a toast to the Café staff, commemorating the reopening, the Visitor Center’s 5th year in business and Revitalizing Waterbury’s 20^th year.

We are so fortunate to be part of a community that looks out for each other and rally when times get tough. We hope that the Café will continue to embody a sense of community spirit and that locals and visitors alike will come see us to enjoy a warm cup of coffee and the company of family and friends.

Thanks to all those who joined us on Saturday!  We hope to see you again soon. And for those of you who didn’t have the chance, come visit us any day of the week between 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. You’ll be glad you did.

By: Alexa Mucklow, PR Intern

“Every business transaction is a challenge to see that both parties come out fairly.”

–  Adam Smith, 1759

We can make a difference by taking our sense of taste and social responsibility to the office each morning.

Small businesses have substantial influence in their community, and when they adopt practices like supporting Fair Trade that advance the quality of life for their patrons, communities, and the environment, it makes a huge difference.

Here are a few suggestions for adding Fair Trade in your workplace, starting around the coffee station:

Ensure that your office coffee machine is brewing Fair Trade coffee. Also, encourage your employer to supply Fair Trade cocoa and tea, as well as Fair Trade chocolates as a snack during meetings or as an employee reward.




Post signs in the office break room or kitchen, preferably above the coffee maker, letting your coworkers know that the beverages they are drinking are supporting small-scale farmers.




Many organizations working on Fair Trade provide fact sheets and resources on their website. You can order informational materials or download them from organizations such as the Fair Trade Resource Network or Transfair USA. Several offer material you can print out and give to coworkers (maybe with a piece of Fair Trade chocolate as an incentive).




Use your company newsletter or blog to promote Fair Trade.




Ask for corporate donations to Fair Trade organizations.




Ask the businesses you support during the workweek to sell Fair Trade products. Don’t be intimidated; business owners really do value consumer feedback.




Let your local merchants know you value the Fair Trade items they sell, and ask them to stock any you’d like to purchase.




Encourage your business to advocate for making your town a “Fair Trade Town” — a community that makes a commitment to supporting Fair Trade. Lead the way!




Exchange Fair Trade gifts with coworkers during the holidays.




Give the gift of Fair Trade to clients: Global Exchange, for example, has a Corporate Gift Program allowing you to buy socially conscious Fair Trade gifts.

The Fair Trade Certified™ label helps your office make better choices, with the assurance that the merchandise purchased is socially and environmentally conscious. As we become more aware of opportunities to use our influence in the marketplace, Fair Trade provides a path for both individuals and businesses to vote with their dollars and become a real force for good.

Whenever I tell someone I work at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR), I always get the response “Ohh – they’re supposed to a great place to work!” And I always agree with them; GMCR is a great place to work. In fact, on Monday, March 28th 2011 we were honored as one the best places to work in Vermont! Among others, recipients included small companies like HUBER+SUHNER, Inc and large companies like Mascoma Savings Bank.

To determine these awards, the Best Companies Group assesses both the Employee Benefits and Policies as well as conducting an employee survey at each participating company.

So what makes GMCR a great place to work? For many folks, they say it is working for a company that gives back. Although not all of our jobs directly relate to Corporate Social Responsibility, working for a company that is creating positive change in the world is inspiring. We also support employees’ passion and inspiration through our company volunteer program (CAFE), which provides employees with 52-hours of paid time-off to volunteer at organizations of their choice. Our matching donation program matches 100% of employees’ cash donations to non-profits up to $1000.00 per year.

Other employees value our commitment to continuous learning. Our goal for each employee is 30 learning hours per year. The company offers classes such as Applied Math, English as a Second Language, Business Spanish, Yoga, Tai Chi, Advanced Excel techniques and many more. It’s great knowing that the company is investing in your future and career.

Another benefit I value is the company’s commitment to wellness. I have affordable health care, opportunities to take yoga on campus, and even get reimbursed up to $500 per year for wellness activities, such as skiing, gym memberships and even massages!

You can learn more about GMCR’s awesome benefits and other ways we’re Brewing a Better World at http://www.brewingabetterworld.com.

Curious to see which companies are the best places to work are in your state? Click here to see if your state has participated in a similar program.

We're pleased to participate with Fair Trade USA and USAID to support sustainable development for Coffee farmers in Brazil.  But instead of us telling you about this partnership, we thought you’d like to hear from Laura Ann Sweitzer, a Producer Services Project Associate at Fair Trade USA.   Read her guest post below, and see her on the ground in Brazil with coffee farmers.

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We at Fair Trade USA are so excited to tell you about a new partnership in the world of Fair Trade, one that promotes biodiversity, conservation, and environmental education among Brazil’s coffee growing communities. We are teaming up with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Green Mountain Coffee® for a two year initiative called the Sustainable Sourcing Partnership Project. Our work together will help increase producer organizations’ understanding of and compliance with Fair Trade environmental standards and Brazilian environmental law.

Not only will the initiative support Fair Trade certification for new producer organizations and increase the amount of land under enhanced environmental protection, but the project will also support producer organizations interested in organic production and promote marketplace access for their products. It is a project that recognizes that biodiverse ecosystems form an important foundation for economic and social development, and that Fair Trade can be utilized as a tool for not only sustainable coffee production, but also for community empowerment.

“We fully endorse the goals of the Sustainable Sourcing Partnership in Brazil, which align with Green Mountain Coffee’s commitment to grow purchases of Fair Trade Certified coffee,” said Lindsey Bolger, Senior Director of Coffee Sourcing and Relationships for the Specialty Coffee business unit of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. “We are pleased to participate in this comprehensive program that is focused on helping coffee farming families improve their livelihoods and the biodiversity of their farms. We are confident that this partnership will be a win for consumers and a win for Fair Trade coffee farming families in Brazil.”

Our partnership will build on the success of the recently completed Responsible Sourcing Partnership, which enabled participating farmers to continue making high-volume sales, while diversifying their client bases among new sustainability- and quality-oriented customers like Green Mountain Coffee. These farmers now look to the Sustainable Sourcing Partnership as a wonderful opportunity to direct focus towards sustainability initiatives.

“I am so thankful for the commitment and effort of Fair Trade USA and the Responsible Sourcing Partnership Project,” said Pedro Carnielli from PRONOVA, “the results have been incredible.  We look forward to the opportunity to continue work with Fair Trade USA through a new project, the Sustainable Sourcing Partnership Project. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue working as partners and continue to improve the quality of life for our producer members”

“Our collaboration with the work of Fair Trade USA has been without a doubt an important experience of professional growth and incomparable success” adds Beatriz Souza Pereira from Unipasv, “it has brought us many accomplishments that have deeply strengthened us as an organization.  Thank you for your confidence in us, for your dedication, for the partnership and for our friendship.”

In order to better support farmers and workers like Pedro and Beatriz, the two-year initiative is designed to maximize the sustainability of Brazilian small-holder coffee cooperatives by delivering assistance in three areas:

1) increasing the Brazilian hectareage under cultivation according to Fair Trade’s environmental standards

2) strengthening the ability of Brazilian small-holders to produce organic-certified coffees for export to the U.S. marketplace; and

3) building local capacity for more sustainable agronomy.

In essence, the project advocates for a better world by encouraging the production of coffee that is good for the consumer, the farmer and for the earth. It truly has the potential to positively impact the lives of thousands of Brazilian coffee farmers, giving them the tools necessary to invest in their futures.

“This project personifies the goals of Fair Trade by producing quality products that improve lives and protect the environment,” said Paul Rice, President and CEO of Fair Trade USA. “We’re excited to once again work with USAID and Green Mountain Coffee to promote sustainable and organic agriculture. The results of this program will offer these hard-working farmers long-term business skills and sustainable agriculture practices that will support these communities for generations to come.”

TOP TEN OFFICE GIFTS

#10 Small Revelation Travel Mug $2.95

We here at Business Coffee Express are often asked, "What is the best way to take my Green Mountain Coffee wakeboarding?" The answer is this cute little 12-oz. Revelation Travel Mug with a spill-proof, screw-on lid. It features a beautiful scene of the Vermont Green Mountains, and is the perfect size to grab and go whether you are free soloing, sky surfing, or even wakeboarding.  At this price you should buy one for everyone in the office!

#9 Logo Backpacker Thermos $19.95

The sleek, slender shape looks like you after the holidays, thanks to all the wakeboarding you've been doing! This compact, no-leak Thermos®, made by Nissan™ is so stylish it might just put mugs and tumblers out of style. Features an easy-to-open, spring loaded lid. Completely leak proof perfect for backpacks and travel. Double Insulation means your coffee stays hot for hours.

#8 Stoneware Logo Mug $14.95

Perfect for the boss who needs to be reminded on a daily basis that every office deserves great coffee! Each is individually hand-thrown by American master potters. Slight color and size variations showcase the unique properties of each one-of-a-kind mug. Solid and sizable, each of these mugs can stand on its own, but two make a nice pair.

#7 Bodum Milk Frother $19.95

The next time someone in your office tells you not to get worked up into such a lather, say "Why Not?" and show them this! This easy-to-use, battery-powered frother is perfect for foamy milk for your coffee without the hassle of an espresso machine. You will probably decide to keep it for yourself so buy two.

#6 Lake Champlain Chocolates Organic Truffles $22.95

Lake Champlain truffles— on the list because it's made in VT of course, and because they are the best Truffles I've ever had. Sorry Belgium, but cheer up, GMCR will probably never make a $25 raspberry beer aged in oak. Lake Champlain Chocolates has reached new heights with this collection of 15 all-natural, preservative-free truffles. Includes Ethiopian Coffee, Honey Fig, Ginger Lemon, Aztec, Mango, and Vanilla.

#5 Better World Gift Bag $59.95

Isn't dreaming of a better world what the Holidays are all about? Our exquisite chocolates, cocoa, coffees and tea help actually make it happen— plus they taste amazing. Includes 7 fabulous products contributing to a better world and a reusable shopping tote.

#4 Organic Breakfast Crate $37.95

Why a Crate? Because "Crate" just sounds cool, and who wouldn’t rather have a "crate" of something they love rather than just a box? Besides, it doubles as an "In" box. Filled with Fair Trade Organic coffee and Cocoa and Organic pancake mix and maple syrup, all from Vermont.

#3 K-Cup Ultimate Gift Basket $44.95

C'mon, "Ultimate" is right there in the name, of course it has to be in the top 10! The perfect gift if their office already enjoys a Keurig® Brewer. If not, get them one of those too! Our K-Cup Gift Basket gives you great coffee right away, and wonderful sustenance for the rest of the day. Includes 24 Green Mountain Coffee Sampler K-Cups.

#2 The Ultimate Office Gift Basket $49.95

Is it possible for two Green Mountain Coffee gifts to be called "Ultimate" at the same time? Yes, it's a holiday miracle! Packed full of delicious treats, and there’s more than enough to share. Brew up a pot of Breakfast Blend or French Roast while everyone in the office digs in to sweet granola, delicate shortbread, maple candy, or chocolate indulgences. It’ll be the most memorable Holiday coffee break ever!

#1 Keurig Office Pro Coffee Brewer $129.95

Not only the greatest invention in the history of humankind, but perhaps the greatest gift since frankincense and myrrh. (Gold is still hard to beat.) Even small offices deserve great coffee and the B145 Office Pro delivers. Designed for offices with 15 or fewer people, its small footprint makes it a perfect fit for conference rooms, board rooms and reception areas. Guaranteed to ward off office revolts, palace coups, passive-aggressive behavior and Monday sick days. They should rename it "Ultimate."

Last week we wrote about a Save the Children food-security project in Bolivia. Another project we’re working with

Save the Children on is a food-security project in Sumatra, Indonesia.

This two-year grant is to help children and families in the coffee-growing communities improve their lives and future through Livelihoods and Improved Nutrition for Kids (LINK). Early childhood nutrition is essential to development both physically and mentally.

The project will touch around 5,500 households (mostly in Fair Trade Cooperatives) in the sub-district of Timang Gajah in Bener Meriah District.

So far, nutrition assessments for 2,230 children in 40 villages have been conducted as well as

• 204 community representatives participated in the LINK Project Orientation meeting


• 33 health providers trained to conduct nutrition assessments


• 79 women trained in establishing home gardens


• 145 women drafted plans for small business start-up.

These meetings and trainings both educated mothers on nutrition, but also helped women draft business plans to generate supplemental income to help combat food-insecurity and malnutrition.

We have some great news about our popular iced teas and coffees; our End of Summer sale is here!  Until October 4th, 2010 receive $3.00 off all Brew Over Ice K-Cups.

From French Vanilla to Sweet Berry Lime Green Tea, all iced K-cups are now $3.00 off .

For our small business customers looking for coffee for your office, please click below for $3.00 off BusinessCoffeeExpress.com!

Yesterday a big group of Green Mountain Coffee folks road-tripped down to Boston for the Revelation to Action celebration event. It was a great time - with all the finalists in attendance at Cyclorama (Boston Center for the Arts). The day included a keynote speech by Judy Wicks and a panel discussion with Willy Foote, Harry Gold, Lorne Adrian and Janet Wu. The evening concluded with the announcement of the competition winners. We were grateful to have all the finalists there, who are all Changemakers and helped to make this whole endeavor a success. Thank you!

And the winners are....

The three overall competition winners are as follows:

• Semester in Sustainable Design/Build, Warren, VT: Yestermorrow Design/Build School provides college students with the opportunity for a semester of study and hands-on experience in sustainable design principles and processes.

• Vermont Food Education Every Day (VT FEED), Shelburne, VT: VT FEED works with schools and communities to raise awareness about healthy food, the role of farms and farmers, and good nutrition, and is a catalyst for rebuilding healthy food systems and cultivating links between classrooms, cafeterias, local farms, and communities.

• Still Growing Senior Community Rooftop Garden, Bangor, ME: The Hammond Street Senior Center is transforming its rooftop into a downtown urban garden. Seniors who can no longer manage a garden on their own or have downsized into apartments or retirement communities can use this garden to grow vegetables, exercise, and make new friends.

The seven state winners are as follows:

• Free Primary Health Care for the Uninsured of Greater Hartford, Hartford, CT: Through the use of a mobile medical clinic, this program provides free, high quality primary health care services to an underserved population that has no other means of accessing the health care system.

• Red Tomato, Canton, MA: Red Tomato coordinates marketing, logistics, and sales to create market opportunities for a regional farm network. By offering supermarkets one-stop access to season-long, farm-identified local food, Red Tomato increases consumer access to local produce and solidifies farm sustainability by ensuring that small and mid-size farmers can compete in today’s wholesale market.

• Common Ground Country Fair, Unity, ME: The Common Ground Country Fair is a gathering, in the spirit of a harvest festival, which serves to encourage the revival of agriculturally-based rural communities.

• Recipe for Success Culinary Job Training Program, Manchester, NH: This program helps unemployed/underemployed people gain the skills and experience to seek employment in the food service industry, rescue quality food from entering the waste stream, and provide prepared meals to thousands of needy people in NH.

• Project Enterprise – Small Loans and Big Connections, New York, NY: This project creates a “Center of Entrepreneurship” where traditionally under-resourced entrepreneurs can receive small loans and a suite of other services that will assist them in building businesses and assets for themselves and their families.

• DoubleGreen™ Credit Builder Loan Program, The Capital Good Fund, Providence, RI: This program makes $200 loans to Rhode Islanders with no or poor credit history to purchase and install programmable thermostats that lower their energy costs by $180 annually. Borrowers build credit through repayments of the loan and reduce their energy consumption, thereby reducing carbon emissions.

• Jr. Iron Chef VT, Shelburne, VT: This statewide competition gives students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience preparing and cooking nutritious, farm-fresh foods. The program highlights local agriculture and encourages students to make healthy eating choices and understand more about nutrition and school food systems.

Before World Fair Trade Day, we thought it would be important to answer a question we hear in hushed tones when we talk about Fair Trade coffee:

"Does Fair Trade coffee taste okay?"

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Ours does!

Lindsey Bolger, Director of Coffee Sourcing and Relationships for the Specialty Coffee Business Unit of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (who is also my boss), said it herself:

“Converting two of our most popular products to Fair Trade Certified is one way we can help small-scale coffee farmers invest in the quality of their coffee and the quality of life in their communities.  It also means we can continue to deliver high quality, sustainably-sourced coffees to consumers.”

High quality.

If a farmer knows he or she can get a good price for their coffee, if they know someone will buy it and take good care of it, then they’ll put more time and energy and care into their coffee. Provided that coffee has a good starting point (the right climate, soil, conditions and altitude, the right farmer and all the other things that affect coffee)….

We pay more for Fair Trade certified coffee because of the price minimums and the social premium, but also because of the quality. We buy the good stuff because you the customer expect us to (and you pay for it). It’s costs more, but people vote with their pocketbooks and they’ve been voting the Fair Trade direction.

Without revealing too much about how we do business, I’ll show you one of our charts. We keep track of the sensory scores of every single coffee we buy and then we put it in a database.  I won’t tell you the scores, but the bars in blue are average scores of the different origins and families of coffee we buy. Column #4 is the average scores for some of our best FTOs and Single Origin coffees. In other words, Fair Trade coffees are some of the best we offer.

If you don’t believe me, then try some of our Fair Trade Organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.

I was thrilled when I went to our Factory Outlet this morning and saw Spring Revival™ Blend as one of the featured coffees. This coffee has sweet aromas, balanced flavors, and a compelling story of hope behind it.

The floral top notes of this Fair Trade Certified™ blend come from Rwanda, a country still recovering from a brutal civil war. I had the honor of traveling to Rwanda with our chief coffee buyer, Lindsey Bolger, a few years back and it was a life-changing experience. I saw how our business, and the relationships we have with producers, are making a difference to people who survived unimaginable horrors. When you choose Spring Revival Blend, you join us in supporting Rwanda’s economic revival, and the small farmers who are recovering by producing extraordinary beans.

Our connection to Rwandan coffee began in 2002, when we hosted a group of Rwandan farmers and industry leaders in Waterbury, Vermont. They toured our roasting facility, participated in a cupping, and explored ways to connect with U.S. consumers.

Our chief coffee buyer, Lindsey, then made the first of six trips to Rwanda to train farmers in cupping and sensory evaluation. She helped them detect defects and understand the quality expectations of the demanding specialty coffee market. In 2008, Lindsey’s protégées were asked to be judges for Africa’s first Cup of Excellence^® coffee competition. Their participation was a dramatic illustration of Rwanda’s meteoric rise on the international coffee scene.

Today, Rwanda is one of the hottest origins in specialty coffee, with a well-deserved reputation for high-quality beans. Fair Trade prices, and the training offered by industry experts like Lindsey, are allowing farmers to make a living off their small plots of land.

We are proud to work with the Clinton Global Initiative, TransFair USA, the Cordes Foundation, and the hardworking, small farmers of Rwanda to bring you Fair Trade Certified Spring Revival Blend.

Spring Revival Blend offers a fresh flavor profile evocative of spring, bursting with aromatic floral and dark chocolate notes. Kenneth Davids, editor of the independent Coffee Review, awarded Spring Revival Blend an outstanding score of 90 on a 100-point scale. The coffee is available in 10-ounce bags, 2.2 ounce fractional packages, and K-Cup® portion packs for Keurig® Single-Cup Brewers through June 4, 2010 at participating retailers and at http://www.greenmountaincoffee.com/.

As you are certainly aware, good coffee is vital to a happy workplace!  Coffee jump starts the day and fuels creativity - no matter how many people you have on staff.

With this in mind, we're proud to announce the launch of our newest family of sites; www.BusinessCoffeeExpress.com!

For small offices and business of 20 or fewer, Business Coffee Express is your source for K-Cup Portion Packs & Keurig Brewers.  From our 1-click Starter Kits or our new coffee club discount program "Office EXPRESS," Business Coffee Express has everything you need to outfit your small business or office.  By joining Office EXPRESS we'll automatically deliver your coffee on a schedule you choose.  Plus, if you sign up today you'll save $2.50 per box of K-Cups and 10% everything else including brewers!

And, if you have any feedback about the site (good or bad!) I'd love to hear from  you.

Let me just say, “WOW!”

As someone who just joined GMCR's Specialty Coffee Business Unit team this summer, I’m ecstatic to hear that GMCR made Forbes’ list of America’s Best Small Companies of 2009, placing in the Top 10 at number 5!  This is our third consecutive year on the list, jumping from #55 in 2008, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

So, I’m going to say it again: “WOW!”  Take this quote from Forbes, for example:

“[GMCR’s] gourmet java, sold through coffee shops and grocers, still pours in a recession.”

Love it.  I even love the pun.  It’s brew-ti-ful, if I may be so (extra) bold (K-Cup).

For a look at the full list, check it out here.  And do say, “Hello,” when scrolling past ranking number 5…

-Kristen

When people recommend drinking Fair Trade Organic coffee because it’s good coffee and equitable for farmers, there’s another argument in its favor that sometimes gets overlooked.

While Fair Trade coffee is indeed good for small farmers and their families, it’s also good for the environment. There are many reasons why, but here’s one: It can help fight back deforestation.

Here’s how: if a small farmer owns a couple of acres of coffee trees and he or she can make some decent money growing coffee – something that you can harvest every year, he or she will keep the trees and stay in the coffee business. Keeping land in small scale organic agriculture like coffee is usually good for flora and fauna (and the farmers). Getting a guaranteed fair price through Fair Trade helps keep that farmer in the coffee business. If that same coffee farmer doesn’t get decent prices and decides to get out of the coffee business, he could cut down some big tall tropical hardwood trees and sell them (kind of a one time harvest) and then move on. If you take a whole region that slowly gets out of coffee – grown in remote high elevations in rural areas (also where lots of timber grows) – then it’s easier to “liquidate resources” – the fancy word for cutting a bunch of trees down. Here’s what that looks like from the sky, in this case, Washington State. (Photo from Google Earth).

The other day I found online an aerial survey map of Indonesia that showed the forest cover areas for the entire island of Sumatra (where we buy a lot of coffee). There is a serious problem with deforestation throughout Indonesia but it was heartening to see the area where we buy coffee (and plenty of other roasters buy). It’s very green. Lots of trees. Not so much logging in that area.  Not yet anyway.

The green areas are where there is forest. Red areas are industrial logging and yellow / orange are small land holder logging areas. The red arrows point to general areas where some of the finest coffee in Sumatra comes from. It’s kind of remote – maybe they don’t log because they can’t get there. Maybe enough farmers are getting by growing coffee so they don’t need to log. (That’s what I’m hoping). If it’s true what some sources say that the planet loses rainforest each year equivalent to the size of Panama, the very least we could do is reach for some more Fair Trade Organic coffee – in this case, how about some Sumatran?
Related Stuff:

Forest Loss Map - a great map from www.worldmapper.org
More information about deforestation in Indonesia.
If you use Google Earth, go here find out how to download a Disappearing Forests Google Earth Visualization (it's free, and fascinating).
Sumatranforest.org has loads of information

Here's the scenario; you've got this great new OfficePRO™ Brewing System that appears to be a complete hit.  You've noticed more smiles in the office, a more vibrant workplace, and you've even been nominated to receive "Boss of the Year" award!  However; deeper exploration turns up a dark secret - not everyone in your office enjoys coffee!  What to do?

Assuming there must be a solution for this K-Cup conundrum, you run to your terminal, type www.BusinessCoffeeExpress into your browser (why don't you have this bookmarked yet?) and click on your Office EXPRESS account.  After a quick scan of K-Cup flavors, you exclaim, "YES! There is a solution: their new Cafe Escapes!"

Adding one box each of Cafe Escapes Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa and Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa to your next order, your grin widens - you are a shoo-in for the Boss of the Year award.  And, you just saved $2.50 per box and received free shipping.

Be sure to try out our new Cafe Escapes on your next Cafe EXPRESS order and let me know what your office thinks.  We are also going to be launching three new Escape flavors soon;  Cafe Mocha, Chai Latte and French Vanilla Cafe-au-Lait.

From small offices to large corporations we have an office coffee brewer to meet your needs.  Be sure to sign up today!

Last week I traveled to San Gaspar Chajul, home of Asocacion Chajulense, a small scale coffee growing community in Guatemala. 

San Gaspar Chajul, is one of 21 municipalities in the Department of El Quiche.  It is also one of the 10 poorest municipalities in Guatemala.  Like small scale coffee farmers in other regions and countries, the coffee farmers in Chajul pass their most valuable possession, their land, on to their children.  With each successive generation, the land holdings shrink in size to the point when they are no longer economically sustainable.  Families in Chajul and surrounding communities are facing this challenge today.  This situation leaves little opportunity or incentive for young people who wish to stay in the area.  Many migrate seasonally to do other agricultural work within Guatemala.  Others move to nearby urban centers or to the U.S. in search of better economic opportunities. The average daily income in the area is less than $2 per day.

 

In Chajul, 56% of the population has had no schooling, and only 14% have reached the 6th grade.  In 2002 the illiteracy rate was 65%. 

 

In 1997, Chajul, with the support of Asociacion Chajulense, opened the Batzul Center of Development (Centro de Desarrollo Batzul), in a facility about 4 miles outside of  the center of Chajul, that provided elementary education.  The school gave priority to the sons and daughters of small scale coffee farmers, with the goal of helping them complete the primary grades. In 2004 there was an effort to establish a private secondary school at the site.  In 2005, this was approved by the Ministry of Education, and it continued operation until 2007.

 

During restructuring of the organization, they decided to focus on primary education, withdrawing their support of the secondary school. Despite this, Asociacion Chajulense remained concerned about the educational opportunities available for youth and families in the area. It was critical that the Asociacion and the community invest in the education of future generations, because it could help families emerge from the extreme poverty in the area. The co-op decided to offer its support to the establishment of an organization that would promote social development, including education, in the Ixil Triangle, the area located between the communities of San Gaspar Chajul, Nebaj, and Cotzal. The Ixil Triangle suffered through a campaign of genocide in the 1980's and was one of the most heavily affected areas during the country's civil war. The organization that was conceived has been named Fundacion Ixil. 

 

Late last fall, Carlos Murillo, a friend and supplier to GMCR, asked me to serve on the Board of Founders for Fundacion Ixil.  Over the past few years, GMCR has made a commitment to the area in terms of coffee purchases, support for technical assistance to improve organic farmers' yields, and support of a weaving cooperative to provide the wives and daughters of coffee farmers with an alternative source of income.  Given our commitment to the area, I accepted the invitation from Carlos and went down for the founding meeting of Fundacion Ixil.  

 

During the meeting Carlos outlined the concept of Fundacion Ixil:  The Foundation will contribute to reducing the severe social problems reflected in the high indexes of poverty and extreme poverty, the high illiteracy rate, and the precarious access to healthcare.

 

The objectives of the Foundation are:

1. To support social development of the communities and families living in the Ixil Triangle, in the areas of education, health, culture, and generation of economic opportunities. 

2. To integrate the strengths and resources of the communities, local organizations, local governments, national government, churches, partner organizations, and volunteers that share the vision of the Foundation

 

The initial focus of the Foundation is the creation of a technical center for young people that will offer access to technical education to young people of both sexes in the Ixil region, via short courses designed to conform with the needs and opportunities that exist in the communities.

 

The initial courses will focus on:

1. Ecotourism:  This program will be oriented toward developing tourism in the region, and will include training of young people in different specialties (like hotel management, restaurant management, tourist guides, etc.).
2. Agricultural Businesses: Given the local agriculture-centered culture, it is proposed to train the new generations to further develop agriculture with a business perspective, with training on integrating themselves into regional, national, and international markets.
3. Curricular Fitness: Improving the training of primary educators, to promote the improvement in the quality of education that children of the Ixil region receive.

 

All of the courses should correspond to the needs and opportunities of the area, and should also promote social and environmental responsibility so that the students involve themselves in community development.

Below is a report sent in by Rick Peyser, Green Mountain Coffee's Director of Social Advocacy and Coffee Community Outreach, while attending a two-day CLAC conference in Guatemala.  CLAC (Coordinadora Latinoamerica del Caribe Pequeños Productores de Comercio Justo) is a Latin American Small Fair Trade Producers Assembly held every two years.  Last time this assembly was held in the Dominican Republic.  This week, it is being held in Antigua, Guatemala. 

Antigua was the first capital of Guatemala before it was destroyed in an earthquake.  It is a beautiful colonial town with cobblestone streets, beautiful buildings and many ruins - some as a result of the earthquake.  It is surrounded by at least three volcanoes.  Today was a beautiful day, although I had very little time to enjoy it because we were indoors all day. 

This morning’s session began with a welcome from the Economic Minister from Guatemala to welcome the attendees.  The first working session was focused on FLO’s (Fair Trade Labeling Organization International's) new strategic plan and business model.  That was presented to many of the people who were here.  Most had seen it before, but some of it was brand new, and others had not yet seen it, so it was a topic for discussion in a variety of areas. 

This afternoon’s session focused on competition – talking about unfair competition from the multi-nationals corporations / transnationals that have gotten involved in Fair Trade.  There is a tremendous amount of concern on the part of small scale producers around this competition.  Other topics wrapped up the day.  The overall tone was very, very positive.  The news about Starbucks doubling their Fair Trade purchased was well received here overall by producers. 

Late this afternoon, we broke into more working groups focused on a few different themes.  The group I was in worked on producer relationships and how buyers could perhaps collaborate on different areas to support the regional producer networks, of which there are three.  CLAC is one, obviously, in Latin America.  There is also an African producer network, and an Asian producer network.  The first of our group's work was looking at ways companies and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) can support and strengthen the producer networks which, in turn, will help the co-ops that work within their system.