The UCC Coffee Project offers a link between our congregations and communities in the developing world. We can reach out to our neighbors overseas with the things we purchase as well as the offerings we give. In addition, for each pound of coffee, tea or chocolate purchased through the project, Equal Exchange makes a contribution to the UCC Small Farmer Fund which further supports coffee farmers and their families. Listen to the difference fair trade makes:

In Nicaragua, Equal Exchange helped small farmers to organize their own cooperative federation, PRODECOOP. By participating in Equal Exchange’s Interfaith Program and partnerships, your congregation can help communities invest in farm improvements, reduce debt, improve nutrition, and provide leadership training for women. “It is very important for you to know that fair trade leads to better roads, better health and better lives for farmers not just in Nicaragua, but around the world," says Rosario Castellón, former director of PRODECOOP.

In India, small farmers living on a former tea plantation joined together to form Samjukta Vikas, a cooperative of over 200 members. The farmers produce milk, as well as corn, potatoes and spices for themselves and local markets. With the help of fair trade, members have been increasing incomes by reclaiming tea bushes on the plantation and making the transition to organic agriculture.

In the Dominican Republic, one of the most economically depressed countries in the Caribbean, Equal Exchange works with the small cocoa farmers of CONACADO. Founded in 1988, this coop helps members increase their standard of living while providing support for quality development and organic production. Farmers grow their cocoa under the canopy of the forest, preserving habitat for wildlife and migratory birds.