Climate change is an issue that weighs on the minds of coffee farmers and coffee drinkers alike. Unpredictable weather patterns, natural disasters and opportunistic plant diseases (like La Roya, or coffee leaf rust) have all done considerable damage to coffee farms in recent years. Substantial crop losses and the resulting drastic drops in income have caused some farmers to consider giving up on coffee farming altogether.
But many farmers are determined to find solutions and work toward resilience and recovery. You can help! Equal Exchange is teaming up with our farmer partners to support innovation and sustainable problem solving. Join us by taking the Red Cherry Challenge, and every pound of coffee you buy this year (June 1, 2014 – May 31, 2015) will contribute 10 cents to the Red Cherry Fund.
You won’t pay more for your coffee – your participation simply allows your purchases to do more for farmers. If you are a member of a congregation, your denomination’s Small Farmer Fund donation still applies; this is an extra contribution for farmers. Whether you’re an individual buying 10 pounds this year, or in charge of a community group buying 100 pounds, you can make an even bigger difference in the lives of farmers this year.
Participating is easy. Simply sign up to take the Red Cherry Challenge and set a coffee goal for the year. How many pounds of fairly traded, small-farmer grown coffee can you bring to your community? Can you go above and beyond what you did last year? The more ambitious your goal, the greater your impact.
Then, spread the word! We’ll help you reach your goal by sending you creative ways to start a dialogue about climate change and coffee and tips for how use more small-farmer grown coffee in your community. You’ll get materials like stickers, buttons and posters to showcase your participation, along with discussion guides, farmer stories and talking points to help spark interest in your community and get others involved. Let people know that they can help protect the future of coffee – just by drinking a cup.
We’re aiming to raise $15,000 for the Red Cherry Fund, which will finance grants for farmer-led initiatives at our partner co-ops in Guatemala and El Salvador. There, co-op members are striving to develop new and sustainable solutions in response to these new challenges. While the effects of climate change have been devastating, the key to survival is resilience, creativity and targeted problem solving.
Many farmers are able to weather these changes and withstand certain inevitable damage if they are adequately prepared and fortified. Coffee farmers know this, but need our support to pursue new developments and educational efforts. The Red Cherry Fund will help facilitate the cross-pollination of knowledge between farmer co-ops, help foster innovation and development, and help farmers implement strategies and solutions.
Your support is vital -- and all it takes is signing up, setting a goal and spreading the word. Make your coffee count this year! If we work together, we can reach our goal and give farmers the support they need to strengthen their farms and withstand the effects of climate change.
Sign up to participate in the Red Cherry Challenge, and set your goal today.
How much Fair Trade coffee will you bring to your community this year? How will you spread the word about problems like coffee leaf rust and what you’re doing to help? Tell us in the comments!
Read more about the threat of coffee leaf rust.