A Coffee Kids publication
winter 2012
Climate change affects more than just your daily cup Featured donor: Matthew Algie Food insecurity, Coffee Kids and GMCR in Guatemala
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news bytes
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Climate change affects more than just your daily cup
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You can help Coffee Kids
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featured donor
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¡gracias!
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Carolyn Fairman executive director
José Luis Zárate
international program director
Pedro Pérez international program coordinator
Joey Apodaca development coordinator
Elisa Kelly
development liaison
La inseguridad alimentaria, Coffee Kids y GMCR en Guatemala
Kristina Morris Heredia communications coordinator
1, Food Insecurity, Coffee Kids and GMCR in Guatemala
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505.820.1443 coffeekids.org
info@coffeekids.org
Letter from the Executive Director Season’s greetings! As the year comes to a close and we look to the start of a promising new year, many of the world’s coffee farmers are in full swing of their coffee harvest. And as many of us look to this time to make promises and resolutions toward making ourselves better people and the world a better place for everyone, coffee farmers are working hard not only to bring you great coffee this year, but to make their own hopes and dreams a reality. As farmers look to this new harvest cycle, they have hope and promise for the future: one with higher incomes, increased yields and improved quality. With these dreams come visions of a greater quality of life, one with dignity and grace, one with enough food on the table to feed their families after the harvest, to send their children back to school and, if necessary, to nurture a sick child through the coming months. The new year brings Coffee Kids 25th year of helping these farmers do all of these things, allowing for a life of grace and dignity. That’s close to 400,000 people who now have access to food, health care, education and increased income opportunities. With the new year comes hope. We hope you will continue to bring these programs to the farmers who benefit so greatly, bringing prosperity full circle.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Fairman, executive director
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news bytes
Coffee Kids, the Farmer, and the Coffee Drinker Mike Ferguson, president of Coffee Kids Board, talks about why Coffee Kids matters to him over on the site Coffee Universe.
Microcredit’s impact in coffee-growing communities In Sarah Baker’s article “Microcredit’s impact in coffee growing communities” in the Global Coffee Review, she takes a close look at the impacts of microcredit projects at coffee’s origin, mainly in a Coffee Kids-supported project in Peru.
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MICE and the GROW it Forward Campaign The Grow it Forward campaign exceeded its goal with a total of $22,380! From all of us at Coffee Kids, thank you again for your support and your commitment to making a difference. One of the many supporters of the GROW it Forward campaign was the Melbourne International Coffee Expo media launch, which raised more than more than $5600 for Coffee Kids. On October 11 the Melbourne International Coffee Expo media launch event, entitled Barista Heroes, attracted more than 150 people. The event was also a fundraiser in which coffee enthusiasts bid for training sessions with eight of Australia’s top baristas and also to compete alongside them in a Latte Art Smackdown. The goal was to raise money for Coffee Kids. The baristas helped bring in more than $5600 for Coffee Kids’ GROW it Forward campaign, which alleviates huger in coffee-growing communities. “The Barista Heroes event has been a celebration of Melbourne’s vibrant coffee scene. It was a great representation of why the city was chosen as the world stage of coffee next year,” says Clint Hendry, MICE show director. “The idea behind the event was to pay tribute to our fantastic coffee talent while also raising funds for a great cause.” BRITA Professional’s Steve Cosh emerged the night’s big spender, bidding an impressive $1800 on two-time Australia Barista Champion and world second-place runner-up Dave Makin from Axil Coffee Roasters. “The level of talent up on offer was so impressive, it was hard to resist,” Steve says. “It was such a fantastic opportunity not only to work with some great talent but also to contribute to a fantastic cause.”
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Climate change affects more than just your daily cup By José Luis Zárate and Elisa Kelly
Tomás Pablo, from Oaxaca, Mexico, discusses what he is doing to increase soil fertility.
Climate change has emerged as one of our foremost global challenges, even where causes and solutions are widely debated. Despite the accumulating experiential evidence (for instance, the recent wrath of Sandy), we often approach climate change selectively, confronting it only where it cannot be ignored. For many of us whose economies do not depend primarily on agriculture, climate change is encountered as distant and, perhaps, exaggerated – sensationalized, even - by the media and climate change zealots. Within the coffee industry the topic has been widely
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discussed and acknowledged as an issue of importance at least since the mid-2000s.1 However, the tendency of out of sight, out of mind persists for many of us working on the non-agricultural end of things. For those who base their economy and very livelihoods in agriculture – here we are talking about coffee farmers and their
1 There is a great deal of academic literature from the mid-to-late 1990s discussing the use of shade-grown coffee to mitigate climate change (See Robert Rice’s work on the topic, for instance). The threat posed by climate change to coffee production itself becomes steadily more apparent as an issue from about 2005 onward. The industry has been quick to pick up on such studies.
Anabella Meneses from Acatenango, Guatemala, discusses how climate change has affected her crops.
Coffee rust
families – climate change is an unavoidable, daily presence, and a threatening one at that.
Thousands of farmers throughout Latin America have already been forced to use strong chemicals to control potentially lethal diseases such as coffee rust, thus losing the expensive and arduously gained certifications that they have worked so hard to obtain. Previously certified farmers must wait three years (yet again), completely chemical free, before they will be able to recover their organic certification – all the while paying the hefty inspection fees without the organic premiums to cover them. With such scarcity of income, food and no alternative work opportunities to subsist upon in the meantime, plot abandonment and forced migration are the next phases in this unfortunate chain of events. In a recent paper3 that sparked a brief panic throughout respected media outlets (National Geographic4, the BBC5, Huffpost6 and the
From rapid oscillations between drought and heavy rains and landslides (far in excess of the normal dry/rainy seasonal shift upon which quality Arabica is so dependent) to the aggressive appearance of pests and diseases, the effect of climate change is felt not only in the decline of coffee’s productivity but also in its quality. The latter impact, in particular, has been a cause of anxiety within the specialty coffee industry. Often overlooked, however, is not just the access to and quality of our daily cup but also the impact felt by those farmers who depend on quality-coffee production for their very livelihoods. Even worse, the same threats to coffee are felt in the cultivation of many traditional food crops, meaning that many farmers experience a triple whammy of lower-quality coffee. There is less of it to sell as well as fewer, lessreliable supplemental crops to fall back on.2 3
2 Gay, C., Estrada, F., Conde, C., Eakin, H. and Villers, L. (2006). Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture: A Case of Study Of Coffee Production In Veracruz, Mexico. Climatic Change 79: 259–288; Morton, J.F. (2007). The Impact of Climate Change on Smallholder and Subsistence Agriculture. PNAS 104(50): 19680–19685; See also FAO (2011) Climate-Smart Agriculture: Smallholder Adoption and Implications for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation & FAO (2009) Food Security and Agricultural Mitigation in Developing Countries: Options for Capturing Synergies.
Davis AP, Gole TW, Baena S, Moat J (2012) The Impact of Climate Change on Indigenous Arabica Coffee (Coffea arabica): Predicting Future Trends and Identifying Priorities. PLoS ONE 7(11): e47981. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0047981. 4 Fiegl. A. (2012/11/08) The Last Drop? Climate Change May Raise Coffee Prices, Lower Quality. National Geographic Online. http://news.nationalgeographic. com/news/2012/11/121108-climate-change-coffeecoffea-arabica-botanical-garden-science. Accessed 12/12/12. 5 Staff. (2012/11/08) Climate change threat to Arabica coffee crops. BBC News Online. http://www. bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20252472. Accessed 12/12/12. 6 Staff. (2012/11/09) Coffee Extinction In The Wild, Spurred By Climate Change, Could Occur By 2080,
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Telegraph7, to name a few), researchers from the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens (London) and the Environment and Coffee Forest Forum (Ethiopia) posit that wild Arabica coffee could be extinct within the next 70 years, posing a severe risk to the available germoplasm that could ensure the future resilience of the domesticated Arabica so many depend on for their morning cup. The real shocker for those of us who have seen the impacts of climate change in the field is not the information the paper presents, but the dubious and nonchalant commentary from parts of the coffee-drinking public. “Bull. You… just want to alarm us. Just like with the bacon ‘shortage’… We will always have coffee, and we will always have bacon,” comments one reader.8 Another9 comments, “Could, would, maybe. All these articles about how bad life will be if [there are] minor changes in the weather patterns, are just scaremongering and guesswork. In reality, if the world warms, growing areas for coffee will move to traditionally cooler climes. If the world cools, they will shift elsewhere.” Such reactions – spanning from a just-rely-onthe-market approach to outright denial – may be easy to dismiss, but they are actually quite common.
who can drink a cup coffee and think that there is always somewhere else whence it can be sourced are mistaken. But does this mean that nothing can be done? Is the chain reaction already inevitable and underway?
The first step is acknowledgement. The specialty coffee industry has made this leap with vigor.10 Quite apart from largescale efforts to stall climate change, many of us are doing crucial work to mitigate the circumstances for coffee and coffee farmers in the long term. Certification organizations have created incentives for sustainable agricultural technologies. Other organizations and institutions, such as the World Coffee Research formed in an effort by the SCAA to specifically address this issue in specialty coffee, are devoting vast resources to preserving wild genotypes that could help coffee survive well into the future. Crucially, though, we must also invest in measures that help coffee-producing communities find some shelter in the storm: investment in supplemental economic activities and administrative and entrepreneurial capacities that will enable them to weather the bad times and emerge on the other side. Coffee farmers, themselves, have a great deal of “There are none so blind as those who will knowledge, experience and interest to not see,” goes the adage. The effects of climate contribute toward the solution, but we must change are already disastrous, with millions assist in creating the opportunity for them to of people suffering from them in the everyday. do so. And, if we take predictions about shrinking habitat to be correct (which we do), those
Study Says. Huffpost Online. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/09/coffee-extinction_n_2104187. html. Accessed 12/12/12. 7 Collins, N. (2012/11/08) Coffee threatened by climate change. The Telegraph Online. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/9661559/Coffee-threatened-by-climate-change.html. Accessed 12/12/12. 8 See http://www.huffingtonpost. com/2012/11/09/coffee-extinction_n_2104187.html. 9 See http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/9661559/Coffee-threatened-by-climate-change. html.
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10 See Bladyka, E. (2012/11/13) Coffee and Climate Change: Reading Past the Headlines. The Specialty Coffee Chronicle (Digital Edition). http:// www.scaa.org/chronicle/2012/11/13/coffee-and-climate-change-reading-past-the-headlines/ Accessed 12/13/12.
You can help support Coffee Kids There are numerous ways to support Coffee Kids’ work. One way is to support those who are raising funds and awareness for us.
A Christmas gesture to LIKE From December 1 – 25 Keep Cup will donate $1AUD per like on Facebook or follow on Twitter to Coffee Kids. It’s never been so easy to donate.
THE SPARK - VOLUME ONE is an inspirational and evocative portrait storybook with honest, revealing insights of twelve people from everyday walks of life. A portion of profits from the sales of THE SPARK - VOLUME ONE will be donated to Coffee Kids.
CoffeeGeek arguably has the best coffee-related gift guide out there. What’s more, 100% of the income generated from these holiday gift suggestion links will go to Coffee Kids.
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featured donor
One of our very first supporters in the UK, Matthew Algie, has partnered with Coffee Kids since 2001, donating more than $250,000 to positively impact lives and livelihoods at coffee origin. The UK’s leading independent coffee roaster supplies great-tasting, ethically sourced coffee to some of the best coffee bars, eateries and businesses across the UK and Ireland. The company may have been around for a long time, but they have never stood still. During the 1990s Matthew Algie pioneered the movement toward freshly roasted espresso in the UK and in 1997 introduced the UK’s first Fairtrade espresso bean. In 2004 they launched the world’s first triplecertified espresso: Fairtrade, Organic and Rainforest Alliance certified. Matthew Algie truly believes in the principles of certification. The company continues to work in partnership with coffee farmers and cooperatives to help them achieve Fairtrade certification, improve the quality of their crop and make their businesses more sustainable. Through the Fairtrade premium, they have contributed millions of US dollars to farm projects to date. As dedicated supporters of Coffee Kids, whose charitable initiatives are invaluable in Latin American farming communities, Matthew Algie has had a tremendous impact – not only in helping support initiatives that ensure a better future for coffee-farming families but also in communicating the work of Coffee Kids to their customers. Regarding their support, Chief Executive Gary Nicol says, “As long-term supporters of Coffee Kids, we continue to be impressed with their work with local partners supporting coffee communities in the widest sense. Coffee Kids’ work is particularly strong on education, health awareness and empowering women in coffee-producing communities.” Coffee Kids is equally impressed with Matthew Algie’s commitment to the future of coffee and thanks them for their continued support!
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¡gracias! From December 1 – 25, KeepCup will donate $1 AUD to Coffee Kids for every new like and follow on Facebook or Twitter. The Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) media launch was held on October 11. The event, titled Barista Heroes, was the first official MICE function in the lead-up to the big event. The night doubled as a fundraiser, with Australia’s top baristas auctioned off to raise money for Coffee Kids. The baristas helped bring in more than $5600 to the GROW it Forward campaign. Thank you MICE! We exceeded our goal and raised $22,380 for the GROW it Forward campaign. All the money raised goes toward Coffee Kids’ food security projects. Thanks to generous donors and fundraising efforts from MICE, SCAA Roaster’s Guild, the Camino de Santiago fundraiser, Boston Stoker and many more. All of of CoffeeGeek’s December Amazon affiliate link revenue will be donated to Coffee Kids. CoffeeGeek has already surpassed last year’s donation. Reunion Island is again selling their Holiday Blend. Twentyfive cents from each pound of the Holiday Blend sold will be donated to Coffee Kids. Thanks so much to Coffee West for inviting us to speak at the opening of the new Southwest Coffee School. It was a great day, and fun was had by all! Two for Joy, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, will be donating 1.50 Euro per each 250g bag of their Winter Roast coffee. We are excited to be working with them! Coffee Kids will be receiving 1/4 of the profits from The Spark vol 1, a new portrait storybook due for release early 2013. You can check it out at www.storynation.com.au. They are taking pre-orders too! We are so pleased to be involved.
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La inseguridad alimentaria, Coffee Kids y GMCR en Guatemala
Por José Luis Zárate El preocupante tema de la inseguridad alimentaria requiere de esfuerzos articulados que involucren a todos los actores posibles. Pues como un efecto que es de la pobreza, su origen es diverso y estructural. Bajo esa perspectiva, la intervención del estado, las sociedad civil, el sector privado, la cooperación internacional y los miembros de las comunidades afectadas deben trabajar en conjunto. Compartiendo conocimientos, estrategias, lecciones aprendidas, métodos y aún recursos cuando eso es posible. En respuesta a este hecho, el pasado mes de Octubre la ciudad de Huehuetenango, Guatemala fue sede de un encuentro entre representantes de sectores públicos, privados y de la sociedad civil nacional e internacional que coinciden geográficamente ejecutando proyectos enfocados en la prevención y mitigación del hambre estacional en zonas cafetaleras de Guatemala. El llamado para que este evento fuera posible fue iniciativa de la empresa estadounidense Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, con la participación de aproximadamente 22 de sus organizaciones contraparte trabajando en aquel país, entre las que por solo mencionar algunas estaban ANACAFE, Heifer Internacional, Mercy Corps, Partners in Health, Philanthropiece, IDR, CRS, la cooperativa FECCEG, CAN, Coffee Trust, ADESPA y Coffee Kids. Durante el evento cada participante compartió algunas de sus mas relevantes experiencias y lecciones aprendidas que pueden servir a otros para enfrentar de mejor manera los retos y desafíos de su tarea. Un enfoque de alianzas representa en mi opinión una buena oportunidad para potencializar el impacto de cada esfuerzo realizado. Eventos como el del pasado Octubre colaboran fuertemente a reflexionar y tomar acciones al respecto, en Coffee Kids esperamos continuar contribuyendo con lo que a nosotros corresponde.
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Food insecurity, Coffee Kids and GMCR in Guatemala
By José Luis Zárate The timely topic of food insecurity requires the concentrated attention and effort of all those affected. A product of poverty, food security is, at it’s origin, diverse and structural. The state, NGOs, the private sector, international entities, as well as members of the affected communities must work in unison to find solutions. In response to this need, last October the city of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, was the venue for a meeting among representatives from the public and private sectors and both international and national organizations that all work to prevent and mitigate seasonal hunger in the coffee-growing regions of Guatemala. This event was made possible by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters with the participation of approximately 22 of its partner organizations working in Guatemala. Among them were ANACAFE, Heifer International, Mercy Corps, Partners in Health, Philanthropiece, IDR, CRS, the cooperative FECCEG, CAN, Coffee Trust, ADESPA and Coffee Kids. During the event, each participant shared some of their most relevant experiences that could help others better confront the challenges to come. Focusing on partnerships, in my opinion, is a good opportunity to boost the combined impact of our efforts. Events such as this stimulate collaboration so that we can better reflect on and take action toward true change. At Coffee Kids, we hope to continue doing our part.
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Seasons greetings from Coffee Kids