The theme of Fair Trade month has been “Faces of Fair Trade,” and Katy and I wanted to use this occasion to share with you a face-to-face visit we had with two coffee farmers in Nicaragua last year.  Juanita Villareyna and Rosa Jimenez are members of La Fem, a women’s cooperative in Esteli, Nicaragua that sells to CRS Fair Trade partner, Just Coffee.  Thanks to their partnership with CRS-Nicaragua, they and some 5,400 other farmers in dozens of municipalities around Nicaragua are participating in the ACORDAR (Alliance to Create Opportunities for Rural Development through Agroenterprise Relationships) project.  In this video clip, Juana explains how access to technical know-how and agricultural equipment will help La Fem participate in specialty export markets.

Rosa also explains why the women of La Fem embrace organic farming and, as Catholic Social Teaching would call it “stewardship of God’s creation.”  Off camera Rosa had mentioned organics as important to the health of her four children, and in this interview Rosa explains how she sees herself doing her part to protect the planet. Click and listen for yourself!

The majority of my time here, though, was spent in a hotel conference room. I know that doesn’t sound very exciting: spending hours on end discussing the opportunities for and barriers to market access from the perspective of coffee farmers in four very different countries with markedly similar problems. But to find solutions and to take advantage of new possibilities, thoughtful planning and consultation is key to being effective. Plus, whenever I meet with CRS country staff I am always impressed by their commitment, their competence, and their patience with my severely flawed Spanish language skills!

However, I suspect a blog reader doesn’t really want to know the results of small group brainstorming sessions. So, let me borrow from another CRS colleague, Fr. David Garcia, who recently visited Nicaragua as part of our Global Fellows program. Fr. David was fortunate to meet with some of the members of La Fem, a women’s led cooperative that CRS-Nicaragua accompanies in the Matagalpa region. Here are some of his reflections, and you can read more at the CRS Blog.

“While we visited [La Fem] they showed us a new wet mill, which is a machine that separates the coffee bean from the fruit pulp. CRS provided it and we were asked to bless it, as they looked forward to a more efficient processing of the coffee crop this year. The women now have a growing business selling Fair Trade organic shade-grown coffee, which is among the highest quality possible. They have paid back the initial loan and their children are now dreaming of going to the university. It was impressive how much they are aware not only of good business practices, but also marketing, prices, organic methods, and preserving the environment. These women never had much chance at formal education and now are changing the future for their entire village.”

What Fr. David witnessed was the result of long-term Fair Trade commitments. In addition to working with CRS in their home communities, La Fem is a partner of U.S. based CRS Fair Trade partner Just Coffee in Madison, WI. In the photo above you can see Fr. David and La Fem farmers with a bag of Just Coffee. Without technical assistance on the ground and export opportunities in the marketplace, coffee farmers are less likely to have their futures change for the better.

Whether in a field, a hotel room, or a coffee roastry, Fair Trade is changing lives. With a three-day weekend upon us, perhaps you’d like to take a moment to honor Fair Trade laborers, whether their cooperative be in Nicaragua, or Madison or in some place you’ve visited!

I’ve been meaning for a few years now to read more of Maathai’s writings because I get the sense that she strikes a good balance between addressing the legitimate needs of people–in this case Kenyans needing clean water and firewood– and concerns for the welfare of the planet. Listening to an interview while enjoying my morning Fair Trade coffee was a nice multi-tasking opportunity.

What struck me in this interview was Maathai’s attributing her understanding of community service to the lessons she learned from the nuns who taught her in during childhood. While speaking of the importance of investing in the planet’s future through biodiversity, Maathai touched on how the nuns lived their lives in the service of others, communicating a sense of responsibility to community and to the Creator. Through their efforts, the teachers were planting the seeds of Maatha’s future. You can hear the entire interview from the Speaking of Faith website by downloading podcasts.

Katy and I are working with our web-team to get some of our own podcasts up on this site (yeh, I know we are late-adopters) so stay tuned for that. Or subscribe to this blog if you haven’t already by clicking on the orange box and following the instructions. The blog is a good way to get our latest news…but not for the next two days, because we are headed to a staff retreat. While we are away, visit the Get Involved section for ideas of how to be part of the future of the Fair Trade movement.