Millions of coffee farmers around the world who depend on their harvests to provide for their families are facing debt and starvation. That's because global coffee prices have plummeted in recent years, and are now at an all-time low of less than 50 cents per pound. This worldwide coffee crisis threatens to ruin an entire generation of families and is causing problems such as malnutrition in Nicaragua, rural unrest in Mexico, and increased drug cultivation in Colombia.
While Procter & Gamble makes over $1 billion on Folgers annually, the average coffee farmer made about $300. At the P&G shareholder meeting on October 9, 2001, Global Exchange called on Folgers, the largest coffee brand in the US, to immediately begin offering its consumers the choice to buy "Fair Trade certified" coffee. Folgers said No!
On September 15, 2003, Procter & Gamble announced that it will be carrying Fair Trade Certified coffee due to grassroots pressure- from consumers like you!
What you can DO:
Organize a Day of Education & Action at your local supermarket to educate consumers about the coffee crisis and get them to carry Fair Trade coffee! We'll send you all the materials. You just need to go to your biggest local supermarket to distribute flyers and collect signatures on petitions and postcards. E-mail valerie@globalexchange.org to request materials today!
Get connected with the Fair Trade coffee campaign moderated listserve to hear more!
