The green hills and fertile coffee fields of Colombia seem worlds away from the busy roads, cold pavement and towering skyscrapers of Toronto. But the congregation at Glebe Church made the connection. Being small, they wondered what one congregation could do to help the plight of coffee farmers and their families. They didn't have to look far to discover a solution, and began selling fair trade coffee a year ago. Glebe doesn't make any profits from the sales — they simply want to promote the coffee and increase awareness of the issues surrounding it. "Farmers selling coffee get a fair price so they can educate their children, feed their families and improve their land," said Bob Elliott, an elder at Glebe.
The congregation is one of a growing number of people lending support to fair trade. Across Canada, grocery stores, independent shops, cafes and churches are stocking their shelves with products that respect those who produce them. Having gained momentum for the past quarter century, the issue of fair trade has made its way to the national offices of the Presbyterian church — planting itself squarely in the communal coffee machine since February 2002. "It's not about seismic changes," said Stephen Allen, associate secretary for justice ministries. "The option is to either do something or absolutely nothing. And that's no option."
Fair trade proponents say small farmers in developing countries are being exploited by middlemen and multinational corporations who refuse to acknowledge their plight while stuffing the pockets of the wealthy. Trade deals like the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement have been criticized for impoverishing Mexican peasants already struggling to make ends meet. "NAFTA is a way of handing over their land, resources and future to multinational corporations on a silver platter," said former moderator Rev. Mark Lewis, who recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Mexico.
Besides writing to government representatives calling for the just treatment of farmers who provide North Americans with coffee, fruit and sugar, consumers can take a stand — and contribute to farmer's well-being — by buying fair trade products. The fair trade logo means, among other things, that farmers were paid a fair wage for their products. "It guarantees a minimal standard, below which the price will not fall," said Allen. Farmers receive a minimum of $1.54 Cdn per pound of green coffee beans in fair trade agreements. If the worldwide price of coffee goes up, so does the amount paid to farmers.
Survey says only 11%
The Record conducted an unofficial survey of 18 churches across the country. Only two serve fair trade coffee. Social consciousness was the main reason for making the switch. St. Andrew’s, Ottawa, has been serving fair trade coffee for about five years, saying it “is a way in which we should be supporting others.” Briarwood, Montreal, serves fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate. “It’s been incorporated into our identity,” said Rev. Derek Macleod.
The main reason given for not switching was the price, as many churches serve the most economical coffee they can find. Taste was sometimes a concern. Others were interested but didn’t know where to get it, or weren’t aware of the fair trade concept at all. “It hasn’t really come up as an option,” said Colin Campbell, session clerk at Trinity York Mills, Toronto. “Most people think coffee is coffee. The idea of fair trade hasn’t been absorbed yet.”
TransFair Canada certifies fair trade products in this country. It can track a product from the producer to the supermarket shelves, guaranteeing fair trade practices were followed along the way. "Every purchase is important and has an impact on the lives of other people," said Chantal Havard, a TransFair spokeswoman.
Since 1998, fair trade coffee sales in Canada have jumped from about 21,000 kilograms to almost 656,000 kilograms in 2003. Coffee's popularity has brought more products to the market including tea, chocolate, fruit and sugar. Textiles and handicrafts can also be certified, and are available through places like Ten Thousand Villages — an initiative of the Mennonite Church, but now an ecumenical effort. According to TransFair Canada, global sales of fair trade labelled products grew by more than 42 per cent between 2002 and 2003.
Some of the growth can be accounted for by larger companies opting to introduce a fair trade line into their regular product lineup. Loblaws, the country's largest grocer, recently introduced Kicking Horse coffee — a certified brand available in their natural foods section. Presently available in Ontario, the line may expand to other stores and products if the response is favourable.
Coffee giant Starbucks brought fair trade coffee to its U.S. stores in 2000. Four years later, Starbucks purchased 4.8 million pounds of certified coffee (out of 299 million pounds total). Starbucks also offers a certified organic coffee and a shade-grown variety (a practice that is kinder to the environment). Together, purchases of these coffees have almost doubled since 2003.
Second Cup — Canada's 15-year-old answer to the Starbucks powerhouse — doesn't offer certified fairly traded coffee, but, the company says it is committed to paying farmers a fair price for their beans and supporting community programs where beans are grown. New Second Cup franchisees are required to visit Costa Rica — their largest supplier — to see the farms and gain an understanding of the process. "To have a sustainable high quality crop year after year, you have to take care of the people and the land," said Second Cup media representative Rachel Douglas. "You have to be able to put your hand on your heart and know you're treating people with respect."
The Presbyterian Church supports the work of others in this area. Representatives attended an ecumenical conference on trade and globalization in January 2004. The result was What Does God Require of Us? A Declaration for Just Trade in the Service of an Economy of Life. The document discusses trade issues between Canada, the United States and Mexico, and was adopted by General Assembly last summer.
Presbyterian World Service & Development supports TransFair Canada through an annual $1,500 grant for educating Canadians on fair trade. It also supports KAIROS (Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives), an ecumenical effort active in global partnerships and trade and justice issues. Guy Smagghe, PWS&D's program coordinator for Central America and India, says fair trade is an important endeavour. He said the concept extends beyond paying farmers a fair price; it also gives them a guaranteed market, supports environmental, organic and sustainable practices and invests in community development programs.
Supporting fair trade initiatives is something Christians can do to fulfill their call to care for the poor. "Fair trade coffee demonstrates that it is possible to have a trade relationship that's based on the ethic of equity," said Allen. "Fair trade is a way of imagining a Biblical model of living together and of responding faithfully to the world. Each individual or congregation just doing one thing is a worthwhile practical response."
That response is cropping up more and more in Canada's churches. Glebe's Bob Elliott orders their coffee from a fair trade coffee shop in Toronto. Since an order of 20 pounds fetches a price break, Glebe has partnered with two United Churches in order to reach the quota. The order is placed Tuesday, beans are roasted Wednesday and delivered Friday. Glebe members hope to entice more congregations to take part. "We hope to harmonize some of our outreach programs because we're all small, so we can't always take on big projects," said Elliott. "If we get together, we can contribute here and there and make a bigger success of it."
Church treasurers sometimes resist switching because they say it costs too much, "but they're comparing the cheapest type of coffee with fair trade. And that's not a fair comparison," said Smagghe. "Fair trade focuses on high-quality, gourmet coffee, so if you compare it to somewhere like Starbucks, it's a very competitive price." There's also an ethical implication, he said. "People try to save money in other ways but not where there is a clear option to make a difference."
Fair trade coffee is also easy to find. Most suppliers have a website where coffee and other products can be ordered online, or through a toll-free number and delivered to your door. Ten Thousand Villages stores are popping up across the country, and some independent coffee houses will take orders from locals and deliver it within a couple of days. And with more and more grocery chains introducing fair trade coffee on their shelves, it is becoming easier to buy than ever.
Churches can even play a role in motivating grocery stores to carry fair trade products. About 10 years ago, churches in Nova Scotia pressured local stores to offer consumers an alternative. Although spearheaded by the United Church, Rev. Kenneth Stright said Presbyterians were involved. The ecumenical effort resulted in Sobey's introducing a complete line of fair trade coffee from Just Us — an east coast company that distributes fair trade coffee across the country. "We didn't want stores to get rid of their regular brands, but we wanted people to have another option," said Stright. "It's part of our community life in Atlantic Canada, and has been for over 10 years."
