Small Farmers, Big Change

1. Small Farmers, Big Change Introduction to Fair Trade & Equal Exchange’s Faith-Based Programs

2. Equal Exchange’s Mission To build long-term partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound, to foster mutually beneficial relations between farmers and consumers, and to demonstrate, through our success, the viability of worker cooperatives and fair trade.

3. Who We are and What We Believe In

4. Back in 1986, the founders of Equal Exchange saw that our food system was broken. • Disconnect between people and the source of their food • Increased use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides • Farmers in the Global South are particularly vulnerable

6. Why Coffee, Cocoa and Tea? None of these products can be grown in the US, so all are imported. As a result, we are disconnected from the sources of these everyday items and the farmers who grew them, many of whom face real challenges. None of these products can be grown in the US, so all are imported. As a result, we are disconnected from the sources of these everyday items and the farmers who grew them, many of whom face real challenges.

7. Conventional Farming Leaves Farmers Struggling • Volatile market prices • No direct access to the international market • Difficult to obtain credit

8. Supply Chain Comparison

9. Conventional (non-organic) Farming is Harmful for Farmers, Animals & the Planet • Clear-cutting forests • Soil erosion • Use of chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers

10. How does Fair Trade work? • Fair Trade organizations partner with democratic farmer cooperatives, eliminating middle people—more benefits to farmers and a fair price. • Long-term direct relationships with a partner that farmers can rely upon • Financial loans to farmers so that they can plan and plant for the upcoming year before they receive their money from the harvest.

11. Faith groups in the United States have a long history of supporting Fair Trade • 1946 – Self Help Crafts (later Ten Thousand Villages) founded by Mennonite Central Committee • 1949 – SERRV founded by Church of the Brethren • 1996 – Equal Exchange Interfaith Program starts offering affordable, accessible fair trade, organic products to congregations across the US

12. Equal Exchange’s Faith-Based Model A wholesale program with a mark up Congregations serve fair trade coffee and tea after services Sell the products at holiday bazaars & events

14. Faith-based Partnerships • American Friends Service Committee (Quaker), 1999 • Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, 2011 • Catholic Relief Services, 2007 • Church of the Brethren, 2002 • Disciples of Christ, 2008 • Episcopal Relief & Development 2015 • Jewish Fair Trade Project, 2014 • Mennonite Central Committee, 2003 • Presbyterian Church (USA), 2001 • United Church of Christ, 2004 • United Methodist Committee on Relief, 2002 • Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, 2001

15. The _________ Fair Trade Project • Partnership mission statement/description • Small Farmer Fund contribution (per pound and most recent year/in total) • Projects the partnership is currently working on

16. Getting the Community Involved • Serve fairly traded coffee, tea, and chocolate in your congregation • Sell fair trade products at monthly sales or holiday bazaars • Design Fair Trade fund – raising projects • Organize an educational program for adults or children with fun activities like coffee and chocolate tastings

17. Visit Farmers on a Delegation

18. Solidarity Tastes Delicious!