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A Tighter Bond |
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By Ashley Symons, Marketing Writer
Photos by Jessica Notargiacomo
In October 2007, Equal Exchange brought two Peruvian co-op members to the U.S. to see firsthand how their coffee is consumed in Ithaca, N.Y. and Philadelphia, Pa. Both cities are home to cafés selling exclusive Equal Exchange single-origin coffee from the San Fernando Co-operative, located near Cusco, Peru. The tour was meant to bring farmers and consumers closer together, but it did much more than that.
"I never dreamed I'd be in the United States. I'm not sure if the stars changed, but here I am," said Eulalia Valdez Palomino, head of the women's program for COCLA, a Cusco-based umbrella organization that started in 1994. COCLA now oversees 25 smaller co-ops - including the San Fernando Co-op - with a total of 8,500 producer members. (Read more about Equal Exchange's relationship with COCLA.)
Palomino was accompanied by Beltran Leguia Masias, a coffee farmer and San Fernando Co-op member. Masias, who has been farming "since he was born," was one of 32 founding members of the San Fernando co-op in 2001. He has since served in various leadership positions, including a term as president. "We've been very happy since forming a co-op," he said. "We're selling products at better prices, which means more for our families."
As a result of forming a co-op, the San Fernando farmers have received additional technical assistance from COCLA, which has helped improve the overall quality of their coffee beans. The co-op has grown to 422 members, with 250 certified organic producers.
Masias and Palomino spent their first day in West Bridgewater, Mass., meeting Equal Exchange employees and touring the Equal Exchange facility to see how green beans are roasted and distributed. Then they left for Ithaca, where they spent three days meeting café owners and customers and talking about the importance of buying Fair Trade coffee.
The next stop on the tour was Philadelphia. Masias and Palomino each had the opportunity to participate in a homestay with a café owner and their families for four nights. The Peruvians also visited cafés in the Independents Coffee Cooperative. Independents is a group of independently-owned coffeehouses in Philadelphia focused on increasing the sale of Fair Trade and organic coffee and educating consumers on Fair Trade and sustainability issues, while also making a positive impact in their communities, on the environment, and in the lives of the people who produce the products they sell.
 Tour co-organizer and Equal Exchange Food Service Representative LJ Taylor planned fun activities throughout the trip, including a visit to the Philadelphia Zoo and a bowling night (Masias threw a strike on his first try!). "We saw this tour as an opportunity to share what’s going on in each community and to bring a tighter bond among them," Taylor said.
The tour was also an opportunity for Masias and Palomino to raise money for an expensive solar drying project for the San Fernando Co-op that will allow the farmers to improve the quality of their coffee by ensuring that it stays dry. The Independents cafés have been selling "Advocate Cards" - discount cards to be used in Independents cafés that give instant savings to customers. Five dollars from the sale of each card is being donated to the San Fernando drying project.
'We'd like to ask you to pay a fair price'
The tour gave Masias and Palomino a chance to educate coffee consumers on the difficulties many small-scale farmers currently face – problems like a lack of health care, few roads, no electricity, gender inequities, and little education – and the ways in which Fair Trade premiums help farmers address these problems. The increased income has allowed projects such as road construction, educational trainings, and technical assistance, and for medicines to be taken to remote rural areas. But there’s still a long way to go.
"We're hoping that the people we're talking with will become more sensitized to the reality in Peru," Palomino said. "We're talking about Fair Trade. But if you see the farmers' living conditions, is this really a fair price?" She urged coffee drinkers to remember the hard work that goes into every cup. "The coffee you're drinking is a high-quality, organic coffee grown by the entire family – with a lot of effort and commitment. Knowing that, we'd like to ask you to pay a fair price."
Throughout the 10-day tour, Palomino's message reached listeners – ranging from customers who knew little about Fair Trade to Independents members who are already dedicated to the Fair Trade movement.
"There was such a sense of urgency in Eulalia's voice and it made me realize how much of an impact Independents Coffee Cooperative can have in helping Cooperativa San Fernando," said Jill Fink, co-owner of Mugshots CoffeeHouse & Café, a member of Independents. "I never anticipated that I would be so moved by their stories, struggles and triumphs."
For café customers, the tour was a chance to meet the faces behind the coffee they drink and to hear about the farmers' accomplishments and challenges. "It's nice to hear from the actual farmers," said Philadelphia resident Ross Hennesy following the Peruvians' presentation at Mugshots. "What's inspiring to me is to hear about the organization happening in the co-op."
Hennesy said he is trying to understand his responsibility as a consumer. "[Seeking] the best price possible is not the most moral economic decision," he said.
'A very beautiful thing'
A question-and-answer style panel the last night of the tour at InFusion Coffee & Tea, another café in Independents, served as an opportunity for informal dialogue among café owners, customers, Equal Exchange employees, and the two Peruvians. "The crowd asked a number of thought-provoking questions that really elevated the event to a place we hadn’t really experienced in the events earlier in the week," Fink said.
During the Q&A, Masias and Palomino shared their favorite moments from their visit to the U.S. "This trip has been a very beautiful thing," Masias said. "I've seen things I'd never seen before. For example, I didn't know this was how coffee is consumed, and I'm very happy." He was also overwhelmed by the "care and love" with which he and Palomino were received. "There are a lot of words I still can't express," he said. "I'm very appreciative to all of you."
Palomino agreed that a highlight of the trip was meeting such "pleasant, good people," and that it even changed her initial ideas about the United States. She previously thought of Americans as materialistic people and was pleasantly surprised by everyone she met. She also enjoyed seeing how coffee shops are organized and laid out. "It's been very impressive to see everything in harmony," Palomino said.
At the end of the event, Taylor surprised the Peruvians with an announcement that Equal Exchange will be providing a $7,000 interest-free loan toward the solar drying project. Palomino had tears in her eyes as she listened to Taylor – and she wasn't the only one overcome with emotion.
"I got in my car at the end of the night and started crying," Fink said. "I had to call my sister and tell her what an amazing and life-changing experience it was to have met Eulalia and Beltran. I didn't know that my commitment to Fair Trade could have been any stronger than it was, but somehow, after meeting Eulalia and Beltran, the work that we do seems to mean more and there's an even greater urgency to share the Fair Trade message."
For InFusion Coffee & Tea owner Jason Huber, whose family hosted Masias for four nights, the experience confirmed his decision to sell Fair Trade coffee through Equal Exchange. "I made a choice with my wife five years ago to sell Fair Trade coffee and follow our values - and our hearts - in business," Huber said.
"We [knew we] could make an impact with how we spent our money, with the choices we make as a business, and we know there is a ripple effect throughout the globe with what we do every day. Once we made that decision, the choice to sell Fair Trade was fairly easy. Now that I've shaken the hands of the people who make the coffee I drink every day and sell every day, the reward is right there. It's sitting right next to me," he said, motioning toward Masias and Palomino.
Taylor agreed. "The reward is all of this."
*Note: Masias and Palomino spoke through translators.
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Our Co-op 
