"I want to send my thanks to all of
the congregations that purchase our coffee. Thanks to you, we have a
seed of hope in our lives."
- Jose Luis Castillo Vasquez, Coffee Farmer, El Salvador
Around the world coffee and fellowship come
together where we share community. A warm pot of coffee is often the
centerpiece of fellowship hour and other gatherings. As one of the most
heavily traded commodities in the world, coffee is a direct
link between our community and farming communities in Latin America,
Africa and Asia.
Yet the small farmers who grow our coffee often struggle just
to make a simple living. Most live in rural communities in some of the
poorest countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Isolated from
markets, they are forced to accept low prices. Without affordable
credit, they become trapped in a cycle of debt. Many lack access to
adequate housing, healthcare and education.
But there is an alternative: Fair Trade. In partnership with congregations and faith-based organizations Equal Exchange's Interfaith Program is a bridge between these communities and our own. By paying a fair price, working with democratic cooperatives, offering affordable credit and supporting sustainable agriculture, Equal Exchange helps farmers to build better lives for themselves and their families.
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Jose Luis Castillo Vasquez is a member of the Las
Colinas Cooperative in El Salvador. Jose and his wife, Reyna, plan to
send all of their children to school.
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Equal Exchange works in partnership with faith-based relief, development and human rights organizations to help communities of faith learn about and promote Fair Trade.
See How To Order for information about ordering on the web, by mail, or by fax.
Click here to sign up for our online newsletter A Taste of Justice!
For information on partnerships, see coffee project links to the left. |
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Interfaith Program
