Thank You, Procter and Gamble
"But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?"
On Monday, September 15, Procter & Gamble (P&G) announced that they will offer Fair Trade Certified™ coffee through its specialty coffee brand, Millstone.
P&G’s Millstone will immediately offer Fair Trade Certified™ coffee to their wholesale accounts (universities, hotels, hospitals, etc.) and through its website, and will eventually begin retailing these products in supermarkets. Within the next few years, P&G has committed to increase the volume of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee purchased by Millstone to at least 2-3 million pounds. P&G will work with TransFair USA to monitor the sales of their fair trade coffee, to ensure that the percentages and sales are all that P&G and consumer activists hope.
The coffee giant’s decision was negotiated with a group of small investors and fair trade advocates that included the Interfaith Fair Trade Initiative, a project of Lutheran World Relief. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s office of corporate social responsibility also took part.
How are Lutherans Involved?
Our faith asks that we, "act justly and love mercy;" and to that end, LWR joined a nation-wide coalition of faith, secular, and student organizations asking P&G to sell five per cent of their coffee as fair trade.
LWR is pleased that P&G has taken these initial steps. You may wish to thank P&G for this beginning effort at:
http://www.millstone.com/pages/contact/
And, while this announcement shows the power of consumer campaigns and is an important step in the right direction, much remains to be done to improve the lives of coffee farmers and to change how trade is conducted worldwide. At a time when P&G’s announcement is hitting the news it is important that we remember that thousands of pounds of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee are sold each year on the conventional market. We can change this ratio for the better!
Commitment to Fair Trade
LWR and Lutherans have made a commitment to 100% fair trade and to our partnership with Equal Exchange -- a 100% coffee company that upholds the highest standards of fair trade. Equal Exchange, the pioneer and U.S. market leader in fair trade coffee since 1986, partners with LWR to offer Fair Trade Certified coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. Recently, Equal Exchange launched a nationally distributed organic, Fair Trade Certified cocoa baking powder.
One hundred percent of Equal Exchange products are fairly traded, benefiting 29 small farmer cooperatives in 14 countries around the world. In keeping with its business philosophy Equal Exchange is a worker cooperative, owned and controlled by its employees.
What Else Can You Do?
What can you do to help the suffering of coffee farmers Join the LWR Coffee Project! The LWR Coffee Project ensures that more of the money you spend on coffee reaches the farmers who actually grow it. Fair trade coffee is a simple solution that means the difference-quite literally-between surviving and not surviving for small-scale coffee farmers.
If your parish is already participating in the LWR Coffee Project, pledge to increase your participation and become part of the Pour Justice to the Brim: The 90-Ton Challenge, aimed at doubling the amount of fair trade coffee purchased through the LWR Coffee Project from last year’s 45 tons to 90 tons this year!
