Author Archives: Mike King

Grecia Trip – Wycombe for Fairtrade – Afternoon Friday 13th May 2022

Mike and Sheena King attended a Welcome Meeting in the Board Room with members of CoopeVictoria Senior Management, including the Commercial Director, Juan Manuel Salazar Barrantes, Mariela Pacheco, the Communications Manager, our host Maria Angela Zamora Chavez, the Sustainability Manager, Shirley Salazar, the Coordinator from Grecia Municipality Fairtrade, Andres Gonzales, the Research and Development Director at CoopeVictoria, and Nora Suarez, the Deputy Mayor of Grecia Municipality.

Mike and Sheena King representing Wycombe For Fairtrade and High Wycombe Fairtrade Town were formally welcomed to Grecia and to CoopeVictoria by the Director and senior CoopeVictoria managers including the Commercial Director.

Maria Angela Zamora Chavez then proceeded to give a brief history of the CoopeVictoria Fairtrade organic coffee and sugar cane producer cooperative from its foundation in 1943 up to the present day. There are over 3000 small scale coffee and sugar cane producers who are members of this cooperative in 2022.

Caption: – Board Room welcome meeting for Mike and Sheena King from Wycombe Fairtrade. Shirley ,from Grecia Fairtrade Municipality, is seated on the left.

Maria also outlined the reasons that Grecia sought a partner town in the Global North and continued to explain some of the joint collaborative work which CoopeVictoria, Grecia, and Wycombe Fairtrade had engaged in since the formal Fairtrade Town Partnership Agreement was signed in April 2020. She also gave an interesting Powerpoint presentation in Spanish outlining future development plans as well as giving Mike and Sheena an itinerary of activities, visits, and events arranged over the next 5 days. Andres Gonzales, the Research & Development Manager of CoopeVictoria, kindly provided an English translation. Prospective plans were also discussed along with the idea of producing a Grecia – High Wycombe Fairtrade Town Celebration Partnership coffee, with CoopeVictoria green beans roasted locally near High Wycombe.

New CoopeVictoria development projects included making their own brand of chocolate bars and selling them locally. They are using cocoa from another cooperative at present and have had the bars certified as Rainforest Alliance but are seeking the higher-level Fairtrade certification in the near future. There are ongoing projects to renew some of the ancient coffee roasting machinery as well as to develop a new refined sugar product called Polycane, which is attracting interest from carbonated and cola manufacturers due to its very low cholesterol levels.

Nora Suarez, the Deputy Mayor of Grecia also warmly welcomed us in Spanish and stated that the mayor and her fellow Municipal Councillors were very grateful to Mike and Sheena King for making the journey from the UK and to be with them over the International Fair Trade Day weekend.

Grecia Trip – Wycombe for Fairtrade – Morning Friday 13th May 2022

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Tour and meal at the recently opened CoopeVictoria Community/Workers Cafeteria

After Maria Angela Zamora Chavez, the Sustainability Manager at CoopeVictoria cooperative and our host, had collected us from our hotel in San Jose, she drove Mike and Sheena King to the CoopeVictoria complex located just outside the Fairtrade Town of Grecia in the Central Valley of Costa Rica.

Caption: – Victoria Cafeteria banner – open sign.

Caption: – Exterior view of Victoria Cafeteria and garden.

We arrived in time for lunch at CoopeVictoria’s recently opened Community and Workers Cafeteria. The building was only opened in April 2022, converted from a former coffee picker’s bungalow. It was the “brain-child” of Maria. She wanted to emulate the Hill’s Community Café in Micklefield, High Wycombe, which she had visited in 2019 as a guest of Wycombe For Fairtrade and the Mayor of High Wycombe. She was impressed with the idea of having a café which offered a community hub for local people to meet, promote local events and artists, and as a place that welcomed children.

Caption: – Sheena on the veranda of the newly opened Cafeteria.

Caption: – Interior of CoopeVictoria Workers’ Cafeteria. 4 of 6

Another benefit was that the good quality food was sold at reasonable prices. Volunteers and young people could also gain work experience. The food was plentiful, well-presented, and delicious, with a wide choice of meat, vegetarian, and vegan meals. The cafeteria was also open to local Grecia residents. The veranda portico extended along two sides of building

Caption: – Interior view of Victoria Cafeteria, light and airy, showing many paintings around the walls of Costa Rican scenes by local artists.

Caption: Cafeteria menu using local organic sugar, coffee, fruit, and vegetable ingredients.

Mike and Sheena King’s Visit to The Fairtrade Town of Grecia, in Costa Rica May 13th to 18th 2022

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International Fair Trade Day Saturday 14^th May 2022. The CoopeVictoria Fairtrade Producer Stand at the Farmers Market in Grecia.

Banners on International Fair Trade Day 14th May 2022 in Grecia, Costa Rica designed to engage children to recognize the economic and social benefits Fair Trade brings to producers and communities alike as opposed to traditional exploitative Free Trade economic systems.

Sheena King promoting the Fair Trade Town partnership link between Grecia and High Wycombe signed in 2019 between the Mayors and Deputy Mayors of both Fairtrade Towns. This version has the same images of the Wycombe Guildhall and Grecia’s famous steel cathedral, but with the text in Spanish.

Banner promoting the Fair-rade Town partnership link between Grecia and High Wycombe

Formal welcome to the Wycombe for Fairtrade Group by the Mayor of Grecia, Francisco Murillo, seated first left alongside the Commercial Manager and Director of CoopeVictoria Fairtrade organic coffee and sugar cane Cooperative. Welcome speeches given in a marque outside the Municipal Building in the afternoon. The lady fourth from the right is Sonia Murillo a promoter of the Caribbean and Latin American World Fair Trade Organization, as well as a founder member of the Network for Costa Rica and Panama Fair Trade and Rural Welfare. Mike and Sheena King were presented with an English version of the Spanish plaque commemorating our visit to Grecia, the sister partner Fairtrade Town of High Wycombe. The Spanish version is now located on a plinth in the central town Park of Grecia.

Internationally Recognized Fairtrade Certification Labels

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Fairtrade International

Fairtrade International is a fair trade certification scheme owned by producers and licensing organizations, such as the Fairtrade Foundation. It is almost exclusively primary product focused, but with no requirements for an entire organization to be a fair-trade company. (e.g., Cadburys).

This is the only Fairtrade mark that assures producers a guaranteed price for their products, usually above the world market price, ironing out the peaks and troughs of market fluctuations. The logo also indicates that a “premium” has been allocated to farmer cooperatives to devote in their businesses, as well as devote funds to social and community projects of their choice. Sustainable production methods and environmental awareness are also implied.

The Small Producers Symbol

The Small Producers Symbol or (SPP) is based in Mexico City and is particularly strong in Latin America and the Caribbean.

This is the only Fairtrade Certification system written, owned, and developed exclusively by the small producers and farmers themselves in developing countries. Rules and norms, such as granted minimum prices or products’ composition rules, are determined by SPP bodies, composed of fair-trade cooperatives. The Small Producers’ Symbol, (SPP), is a label that represents an alliance among organized small producers to build a local and global market that values the identity and the economic, social, cultural, and ecological contributions of products from Small Producers’ Organizations. This alliance is based on a relationship of collaboration, trust and co-responsibility among women and men who are small producers, with buyers and consumers. The SPP is backed by an independent certification system.

The SPP represents the identity of organized small fair trade producers, to distinguish it in local and global markets with its specific products and values.

The SPP is backed by an independent certification system, guaranteeing consumers that products come from authentic, democratic, self-managing organizations of small producers, and that they have been produced in line with criteria for economic, social, cultural and ecological sustainability, and produced under fair conditions.

The SPP is more than a label. It is a particular way of improving prospects for life and well-being through collective, co-responsible work among small producers, consumers, and other stakeholders in the market and in society.

The World Fair Trade Organization

The WFTO was founded in 1987 as a Fair-Trade Certification body. Traidcraft was certified as a WFTO Guaranteed Fair Trade Organization in 2017. The WFTO is a producer and trader owned international system, which brings growers, suppliers, and buyers of fair-trade products together.

A Community of Fair Trade Enterprises

The WFTO is the global community and verifier of social enterprises that fully practice Fair Trade. Spread across 76 countries, WFTO members all exist to serve marginalised communities. To be a WFTO member, an enterprise or organisation must demonstrate they put people and planet first in everything they do. The WFTO is democratically run by its members, who are part of a broader community of over 1,000 social enterprises and 1,500 shops. We are their global community.

The WFTO focuses on both social enterprise and Fair Trade. Its Guarantee System is the only international verification model focused on social enterprises that put the interests of workers, farmers, and artisans first. Through peer-reviews and independent audits, WFTO verifies members are mission-led enterprises fully practicing the 10 Principles of Fair Trade across their business and supply chains. Once verified, all members have free use of the WFTO Guaranteed Fair Trade product label. (see above)

The WFTO subscribes to 10 core principles of Fair Trade

Create Opportunities for Economically Disadvantaged Producers.
Transparency and Accountability.
Fair Trading Practices.
Payment of a Fair Price.
Ensuring no Child Labour and Forced Labour. …
Commitment to Non-Discrimination, Gender Equality, Freedom of Association.
Ensuring Good Working Conditions.
Provide capacity building
Promoting Fair Trade as the norm.
Respect for the Environment

Impact

Fair Trade Enterprises across the world are producing and trading, campaigning, and educating for a better world. The WFTO is their global community. Their direct impact includes 965,700 livelihoods supported through the operations and supply chains of these enterprises. 74% of these workers, farmers and artisans are women and women made up much of the leadership. They pioneer upcycling and social enterprise, refugee livelihoods and women’s leadership. These enterprises show a better world is possible and we support them through a range of initiatives and projects. As of May 2018, there were 326 certified WFTO Fair Trade Enterprises throughout the world.

Naturland Fair

Naturland Fair combines organic agriculture, social responsibility, and fair trade, both locally and globally. Naturland Fair is strongly represented in mainland Europe and adds the organic component to this economic aspect of sustainability. It is now one of the most prestigious certification bodies combining Fairtrade and Organic in one label.

This certification system is owned by organic farmers that ensures that both the product and the organization that produced it are rooted in doing things fairly. The Naturland association campaigns for organic farmers, wherever they are in the world, to have a future. This is only possible if they can live by what they grow. Fair prices, reliable trading relationships, and social responsibility are the cornerstones of this policy. They are the mainstay of certification to the Naturland Fair standards, which since 2010 now has provided businesses with a visible symbol of their commitment to a spirit of co-operation with their partners in their economic relationships and in society in general. A wide variety of products, ranging from milk and bread to olives and spices, besides the typical fair-trade products such as coffee and chocolate, illustrates the global scope of certification to Naturland Fair standards.

Fair for Life

Fair for Life is a certification programme for fair trade in agriculture, manufacturing, and trade. It was created in 2006 by the Swiss Bio-Foundation in cooperation with the IMO Group, then taken over by the Ecocert Group in 2014 to meet a specific demand from organic farming stakeholders. It is basically a certification process of Fair Trade within responsible supply chains and businesses with corporate social responsibility.

The label encourages a supply chain business model that aims at the resilience of each link. Fair for Life certification is a tool that enables the fixing of prices and protection of exemplary supply chains, where stakeholders have chosen to act responsibly by implementing good economic, social, and environmental practices. By following the framework defined by Fair for Life certification, producers, processors, and brand owners can secure their sales and supplies, thanks to tools such as long-term contracts that include fixed prices and volumes, and by establishing a real partnership between them.

Today, Fair for Life brings together a community of more than 700 certified companies and organisations in over 70 countries. Their commitment in Fair for Life directly impacts 235,000 producers and workers and generates nearly €1 billion in certified products sales. An example “Fair For All” certified company is “Alter Ego” based in San Francisco which markets and supplies socially and ethically produced quinoa.

Wycombe For Fairtrade – Stall at Pann Mill Open Day on Sunday 12th September 2021

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Wycombe For Fairtrade rented stall space at the recent Pann Mill Open Day. This was the first information and Fairtrade product stall that that we have had since about one year and a half ago when the pandemic lookdown occurred, and public gatherings banned.

Thank to Sarah, Sheena, Jhon and Mike who staffed the stall all day from 1030am to about 4.45 pm.

It was a surprisingly successful venture for several reasons: –

Our stall near the Pann Mill Café saw steady footfall all day.
It was good to have direct contact with the public again.
We managed to sell a number of Traidcraft products and raised over £156.00.
Sadly, Wycombe Sound Community Radio were not present at this event However,
Steering Group members had a number of productive conversations with members of the public as well as engaging with several known contacts.
The Mayor of High Wycombe, Councillor Andrea Baughan, visited Pann Mill around 4.00 pm and visited all the stalls and spoke with the stall holders. This provided Wycombe For Fairtrade with good photo opportunities to: –
Present the Mayor with a Fairtrade coffee mug which the Chairman presented to Andrea
The backdrop was the new banner highlighting the twin Fairtrade Town linking between Grecia in Costa Rica, and the Fairtrade Town of High Wycombe in which the image colours and the text really
Marion Lyons, from St Andrews Church introduced herself and stated that the Church had registered with the Fairtrade Foundation under the new Places of Worship scheme and were busy ensuring that Fairtrade products and the ethics of social justice were entrenched in the biblical teaching and church services.
Also, a member of the public came forward and identified herself as Fay, and gave us a insight into the workings of the High Wycombe Community Board, which could prove useful in future and in “building back better” in terms of local council actions and plans. We noted her contact details for future reference.

Overall, it was a very positive, productive, and profitable presence and although tiring to set up and pack up, but was well worth the effort.

Many thanks to Sheena King, Sarah Moroz, and Jhon Munoz who gave up a large proportion of Sunday to ensure that our Fairtrade Stall was staffed all day.

Mike King

Chairman, Wycombe For Fairtrade

Report from SE Regional Fairtrade Campaigner’s Zoom Conference 27th July 2021

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Mike and Sheena King attended the online SE Regional Campaigner’s Zoom Conference.

There were some some very interesting and encouraging addresses and information.
Mike and Sheena have summarised the content of the 4 addresses that they listened to and links to these, as PDF document, are below.

The four summaries cover: –

1). Big Green Week 18-26 September 2021

Big-Green-Week-and-Promotional-Information Download

2). Joanna Pollard – Fairtrade Foundation, National Campaign Council Chairperson address

Joanna-Pollard-Fairtrade-Foundation-National-Campaign-Council-address Download

3). Pauline Tiffen – B2B Business to Business Initiative.

Pauline-Tiffen-address-B2B-Business-To-Business-Initiative.-SE-Regional-Campaigners-Meeting-27-July-2021 Download

4). Sarah Brazier – Fairtrade Foundation Campaign Manager address.

Sarah-Brazier-Fairtrade-Foundation-Campaign-Manager-address Download

AGM 2020 – Chairman’s Report September 2019 to September 2020

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Introduction

I would like to welcome both existing Wycombe For Fairtrade Steering Group personnel and all interested members of the public to our 15th September 2020 Annual General Meeting. This is the first AGM that we have held for a number of years and in so doing, the first one to take place online due to the COVID-19 measures, which have prevented physical gatherings in public venues.

Thanks

Firstly, I would like to thank all existing members of the Wycombe For Fairtrade Steering Group for their collective time, hard work, dedication, and ideas over a number of years that have propelled Wycombe For Fairtrade to achieve things that a few years ago would have been impossible, not only that, but developed on a regional, national and global stage. I will allude to specific examples in the main section of the report with Fairtrade Town linking with Grecia in Costa Rica, delivering a joint workshop and lecture with Maria Angela from CoopeVictoria, signing a friendship & cooperation agreement, and getting support from the Ambassador of Costa Rica in the UK.

Secondly, I would like to thank the individuals personally:

To Sheena for her unwavering support, acting as a sounding board, and where necessary, pacifying my temper! Sarah has been a rock of support from the start of the Group in 2008 and has proved to be a diligent and excellent Secretary.
Jhon Munoz has provided energy and inspiration along with his Spanish language skills in our international liaison involvement, without which links with Grecia and CoopeVictoria would not have been possible or have progressed with such speed and depth.
Tony Thornby has brought his web marketing skills to the fore and has managed our new look website to reflect our interests, document our achievements, and promote our events along with other social media. He is currently progressing Group email accounts, one for the general public enquiries, and another for Steering Group and Fairtrade matters.
Bob Smith, (probably listening out of sight), regularly attended our Committee meetings and turned out to support all our events, even supplying a gazebo on one occasion on the Rye! A Fairtrade flowerbed in Wycombe for next summer would be a fitting tribute to Bob’s gardening skills. His wife Maggie, has also attended many events, getting signatures for petitions and engaging the public.
Ivan has kept the Group up-to-date with Wycombe Friends of the Earth and Population Matters events and issues. These very much parallel the Fairtrade Foundation’s recognition of the UN Sustainablility Goals. Sustainability; environment; and gender equality, are all essential goals for Fairtrade certified farmers and producers. Climate change is perhaps the biggest threat and it was good to support Ivan’s Climate Change Comedian evening last October. It was very witty as well as our stall made around £40.00!
Thanks to Angus for keeping us abreast of church and faith group Fairtrade events and issues over the year. The Coronavirus outbreak has obviously curtailed church services and events with a public presence. However, whenever COVID -19 abates, I wonder if we could work together to collate a united Wycombe Churches Fairtrade response to getting church leaders to have more Fairtrade themed services; events; liaison; engagement with young people; as well as encouraging them to apply for the new Fairtrade Church certification for 2021.

Wycombe for Fairtrade: Activities & Achievements

It has probably been the most successful and amazing year ever for the Wycombe For Fairtrade Steering Group, both internationally and locally. Jhon and I were busy in mid-2019 preparing the groundwork for a future Global Fairtrade North – South Town relationship between High Wycombe and Grecia in Central Costa Rica along with the neighbouring Fairtrade producer co-operative, CoopeVictoria. Talks, emails and phone calls resulted in Maria Angela, the Sustainability Manager from CoopeVictoria visiting High Wycombe at the invitation of the Mayor of High Wycombe and Wycombe Fairtrade. We showed her the range of Fairtrade products available in High Wycombe, she had a productive meeting with the Mayors, showing a recorded video of Mainor, the Mayor of Grecia, promoting the Wycombe Grecia link; as well as taking her to Matt’s Hills Cafe in Micklefield, a good example of a community network and business run for the benefit of the local residents and groups. Maria also found time to speak on a live Wycombe Sound on-air interview and had a meeting with Louise Whitaker, the Group Sustainability Manager at Bewley’s UK.

Jhon, Maria, Sheena, myself, and Matt Knight, the Deputy Mayor, attended the 2019 International Fairtrade Towns Conference in Cardiff in October. We jointly delivered a workshop and seminar supported by a powerpoint presentation of how to go about linking Fairtrade Towns in the Global North, e.g. High Wycombe, (consumers), by creating a relationship with a producer economy and business town in the Global South, Grecia and CoopeVictoria in Costa Rica, based on the research work by Marco Coscione of the WFTO. We had 15 people from the convention taking part and suggesting ideas and linking themes. This was the first time Wycombe For Fairtrade had delivered an address at the IFTTC and Matt Knight formally announced this Fairtrade relationship between Wycombe and Grecia at the close of Saturday’s business.

Further work progressed this relationship through early 2020 until Wycombe Fairtrade drafted a Fairtrade Town “Friendship and Cooperation Agreement” based on Fairtrade principles between High Wycombe, Grecia and CoopeVictoria. Frequent joint Teams and Skype meetings took place to work out the final wording until a final draft in English and Spanish was agreed and signed by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Wycombe; the Mayor of Grecia at the time (Mainor Molina); the Chairman of Wycombe For Fairtrade; and the new Director of CoopeVictoria in time for Mainor’s last day in office.

In October 2019, Wycombe For Fairtrade successfully renewed its Fairtrade Town status until November 2021. A speculative email to the Ambassador of Costa Rica to the UK resulted in an invitation to the Costa Rican Embassy in London. Jhon and I had a 3.5 hour meeting with Ambassador Ortiz who duly accepted our invitation to present the Fairtrade Foundation Town Renewal Certificate to Maz Hussain, the Mayor of Wycombe on 21st January 2020,. He also addressed the Charter Town Trustees, highlighting the importance of Fairtrade and the relationship of Wycombe with the town of Grecia. We had Fairtrade wine and snacks in the Mayor’s Parlour to celebrate the occasion and took many photographs. We have sent images of the signed document Agreement in Spanish and English to put into the Costa Rica Embassy reception at the request of the Ambassador.

Attending the POLITICON event in February 2020 at John Hampden Grammar School, Jhon, Sarah, and Mike helped set up our information table with the A2 poster taking centre stage of our display stand. Apart from general Fairtrade leaflets, we also had Grecia and CoopeVictoria booklets, information, and display packs of coffee beans in various stages of processing which attracted onlookers. The highlight of the evening was the approach by a JHGS teacher, Steffi Neal, who taught Business Studies and Economics, and was keen to develop a Fairtrade
element in the curriculum as an example of a solidarity economic model and give her pupils projects involving sustainability, environmentalism and “green issues”, no better displayed than in the country of Costa Rica. She also mentioned that her equivalent teachers at Wycombe High School may also be interested along with Spanish language teachers at these schools. Post-coronavirus, there seems to be a good opportunity to exploit these areas and work towards forging links between High Wycombe secondary schools and their counterparts in Grecia.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2020 Events and Activities

A 35-minute live on-air interview with Wycombe Sound radio started our events, which largely focused on our new relationship with Grecia and CoopeVictoria in Costa Rica. We also had a Zoom meeting to exchange ideas and promote each other’s activities. There was also a successful two-day Coffee Boffin Quiz at Christ The Servant King Church during Open Door cafe mornings and setting up a Traidcraft stall for the weekend. The highlight was liaising with CSK Church to jointly organize and host a “Fairtrade Churches and Faith Groups Think Tank” on Saturday 7th March 2020.There were a range of speakers including Heather Searle, who gave
a 15-minute sermon and service on Fairtrade principles in the Bible; Anghared from the Fairtrade Foundation; Maranda St.John Nicoll from Christian Concern for One World and Margaret Dykes from Traidcraft. Mike King delivered a powerpoint covering the “Impact of Climate Change on Fairtrade producers and communities”.

Only 20 people attended the seminars but they were thoroughly engaged. This occurred a few days prior to the Government’s introduction of COVID-19 lockdown measures.

It was also the first outing of Wycombe For Fairtrade’s newly produced Publisher A2 poster depicting development links and progress with Grecia and CoopeVictoria as well as our joint presence at the IFTTC in Cardiff. This was displayed at the BNU Volunteer Week Fairtrade Breakfast over two days at Wycombe Campus of Bucks New University. It received many favourable comments where it was displayed prominently on a counter in the Student’s Lounge. We talked to several groups of A level pupils both here and from Wycombe Abbey Girls School who seemed reasonably clued up on Fairtrade and its purpose. International World Fairtrade Weekend 2020 Events and Activities

On International Fair Trade Day, 9th May 2020 for the first time, I managed to book a live 25-minute on-air slot with Wycombe Sound at 11.30 in the morning, to outline the purpose of Fairtrade, to show that it is in fact part of free trade market forces but operates to give producers guaranteed prices and that the extra premium is invested in infrastructure and local businesses to the benefit of their communities. I also emphasised our International Fairtrade links with Grecia and CoopeVictoria in Costa Rica and that a signed “Fairtrade Cooperation and Friendship Agreement” had been signed in late April forging a link with High Wycombe in a post European Union world.

Jhon Munoz took part in a Spanish Language Teams/Skype online discussion with CLAC, CoopeVictoria and Grecia, and was the only representative from a UK (Global North Town). Wycombe again was at the forefront of the International Fairtrade debate.

Other Activities and Projects 2019 – 2020

Another primary project that Mike King has been working on since the Conference has been to promote CoopeVictoia Fairtrade arabica coffee by liaising with and emailing a number of UK roasters with a view to roasting a batch of CoopeVictoria green beans in the UK to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Cost Rica Independence in 2021. The idea was to originally have 250 to 300 x 227kilogramme bags to sell and promote locally at trade stalls, events, and churches in High Wycombe. This would mirror what Haworth Village Fairtrade Group did with CafeDirect in marking their 10 year anniversary link with Machu Picchu in Peru. Despite sending over 10
speculative emails to various independent and large roasters, I only had three replies.

However, Darren and Jane Rayner, the Managing Directors of Kingdom Coffee Company based in Reading, replied immediately by email the same day and left a message to ring them which I duly did. Darren wanted to speak to me so we arranged a meeting for Friday 19th June where I had a 2 hour 15min discussion with him. Kingdom Coffee is a Christian, 100% Fairtrade coffee wholesale company with a partner roastery. He gave me a tour and liked my idea. He developed this idea into a business plan and put this to the board of Masteroast in Peterborough. The Corporate manager had worked in Costa Rica for 7 years, and knew the Board of CoopeVictoria, as well as the reputation and qualities of their coffee. On Monday 22nd June, Darren rang me with the incredible news that Derek, the owner of Masteroast was cancelling his original contracts with Costa Rican producers at the end of 2020, and would roast CoopeVictoria Fair Trade green been coffee exclusively for 2021, so providing CoopeVictoria with its first UK roaster and its first direct market. Additionally, the Green Bean Quality Manager has been instructed to work out the quantities and types of beans required.

Through Kingdom Coffee alone, Darren would market this coffee to his existing 7000 customers which includes, churches, local and county councils, tourist venues, company headquarters like Google and Amazon, shipping and transport hubs, and village cake shops and cafes. There would be the possibility of CoopeVictoria Fairtrade coffee being part of a commercial venture with Masteroasts’ contracts with in-house coffee for major supermarket chains like Waitrose, Morrison’s and the Coop. This could potentially have an enormous economic impact on CoopeVictoria and its community as well as on Wycombe For Fairtrade in terms of marketing and promotion events with Kingdom Coffee and the Embassy of Costa Rica.

If I have omitted anything else then it is down to my memory and because I have had to condense a very large amount of work that has reflected a very active; proactive, successful and positive year!

Future Plans for 2020 – 2021.

Despite the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic, Wycombe For Fairtrade is pursuing a number of new and ongoing events and activities:

Education awareness and potentially linking secondary schools in Wycombe with counterparts in Grecia in terms of language links, field trips, and pupil teacher exchanges
Progress increased Fairtrade presence with Churches Faith Groups including, products, speakers, enhancing Fairtrade projects in young people groups, and working with churches towards Fairtrade Church certification.
Produce a new 2020 -2021 Wycombe Fairtrade outlets Directory will new Kingdom Coffee logo and “High Wycombe” inserted on “We are a Fairtrade Town” logo
Promoting CoopeVictoria and Grecia with leaflets, brochures and a new roller banner printed in English to increase awareness and advocate their products at local and regional events. Especially narratives about their producers and families – How they allocate and spend their Fairtrade Premium investment on social projects.
With the invitation of the Ambassador of Costa Rica and the Director of Kingdom Coffee, attend promotional events on 2021 in London and the UK marketing new CoopeVictoria Fairtrade coffee range. E.g. Costa Rican Parade in London on New Years Day as well as Promoting our group and links with Grecia at the orchid festival at Kew Gardens in February 2021.
Maybe attend new Anniversary coffee launch at Fairtrade Foundation HQ.

Wycombe For Fairtrade Treasurer – Mike King. 15th September 2020

University of Bath’s Fairtrade Fortnight celebrations 2020 – Part 3 of 3

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Gloria Maria Talavera Gonzalez. Fairtrade Coffee & Cocoa Farmer & Women’s Coordinator Producer from the SOPPEXCCA Cooperative, Nicaragua.

She has been farming cocoa and coffee in Corinta Finca for over 25 years. Fairtrade has enabled:-

Financing a scholarship for her son to study agricultural engineering in Germany for a year, helping to keep young people involved with the land.
Fairtrade provided credit for replacing all her coffee plants when the fungal leaf rust disease (La Roya), decimated her and neighbouring crops in 2013.
Her son and daughter help on the plantation at weekends, removing poor quality coffee beans and cocoa pods that not growing well.

Gloria stressed the importance of Fairtrade especially in the areas of:

Developing and spreading women’s gender equality, men and women are paid the same price for their coffee. A separate women’s coffee brand has developed over the last few years called “Sister”.
Through Fairtrade producer cooperatives, larger amounts of coffee and cocoa can be exported, on newly surfaced roads, partly paid for by the Fairtrade Premium.
The organic coffee and cocoa meet the exacting Fairtrade Certificate Standards and requirements which are regularly inspected and so have consumer confidence.
Agricultural technicians and agronomists supervise the Cooperatives’ plantations.
SOPPEXCCA’s farmers work with the environment. They are encouraged to grow other crops, both as for healthy consumption, but also for selling in local markets and even exporting. Bananas, orchard fruit, maize and organic honey, are crucial cash crops as well as providing vital vitamins for families and for food security.
Nicaragua is well off for water and forests, but climate change of just a few degrees can have a dramatic impact on coffee production, the main cash crop. Fortunately, cocoa grows well in the fertile, volcanic soil and fills in most of the income gap. Plots devoted to bananas, mangoes, and other diversified fruit provide more than self-sufficiency – diverse income streams. Annatto is an orange-red food coloring or condiment made from the seeds of the achiote tree.
A group of enterprising women, using part of the Fairtrade Premium have utilized local organic beekeeping to combine the honey with the maize to produce a grain energy bar. They were aided by marketing help from a female entrepreneur in Ireland who advised on marketing. These energy bars are also sold in their plantation cafe. Unsold fruit along with washed coffee sludge is dried and bagged for organic fertilizer for Cooperative members.
Fairtrade Premiums have been invested in community health projects over the years, including a free health clinic for workers and regular cancer checks.
A holistic approach is adopted with guaranteed Fairtrade coffee and cocoa prices ironing out fluctuations in world prices and allowing farmers to plan for the future for cash crops. The Fairtrade Premium also encourages fledgling income diversity and local ripple effect industries to provide new revenue streams, some of which are very intuitive.

Notes Produced by:
Mike King
Chairman, Wycombe Fairtrade

University of Bath’s Fairtrade Fortnight celebrations 2020 – Part 2 of 3

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Louise Whitaker; Group Support Manager, Bewley’s UK

Visit to the SOPPEXCCA Cooperative in Nicaragua and Unlocking the power of Women in Coffee.

Louise began her presentation by stating that over 125 million people in 70 countries worldwide rely on coffee as the main cash crop. However, the coffee plant does not like quick changes in growing conditions and is largely intolerant of progressive temperature increases. Coffee is also very labour intensive and prone to pests and fungal diseases. Coffee seedlings take 4 to 5 years to produce in nurseries before any coffee cherries grow on the bush. The first crop is discarded before the best cherries mature. When ripe, the cherries are hand-picked, sorted, and then de-pulped to obtain the two green coffee beans in each cherry. The green coffee beans are then place in the sun to dry for 3 – 7 days and turned regularly.

Women provide much of the labour in what are often male-dominated societies, as well as looking after the children, cooking, collecting water, shopping, or running small businesses in local markets

Louise referred to a newly published ICO document examining gender equality and climate change.

When women have access to finance, credit, training, and are involved in the decision making processes of the cooperative, women tend to save more money than men as well as direct more of that finance to providing for the family.

Members of the SOPPEXCCA Cooperative pay to be part of the Fairtrade auditing scheme to have the certification logo on their coffee and cocoa products. Fairtrade membership entitlements include:-

Gender equality
Equal pay for men and women
One member one vote on business and community project decisions
Access to credit – (a holistic approach is taken)
Women managers and leaders act as “role models” in the cooperative expanding the narrative
Money provides for school bags, paper, pens, and child uniforms even though state education is free
Children can then aspire to colleges and universities for professional training
With credit, women can start their own coffee or small businesses.

e.g. women collect organic honey from bees and combine this with home grown maize to produce energy bars, which are sold locally in markets, shops and even exported

This in turn provides access to more credit e.g. $10,000 for marketing of biscuits and energy bars. A wheel begins to role and gather pace, so creating a new mini-enterprise

Positive factors

There is a clear role for women in businesses as well as community, empowering and enhancing their status, closing the gender gap. Women work hard in the production of coffee but can create quite innovative enterprises which diversify the economy based on local conditions and advantages. Women understand the relationship of their work with the land and the environment and can help fight climate change.

During her 2018 visit to SOPPEXCCA Cooperative, Louise met a number of women with interesting stories to tell about improving their economic opportunities as well social and community benefits, once they have access to credit, they become entrepreneurs and role models. Money has also come from Melissa Gates and the Hilary Clinton Foundations.

Greta: 90% of her income was directed to her family, improving diet, health and education opportunities. She works in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Farmers would lose money if their coffee were not sold under Fairtrade terms. Being involved in both business and community decision making means inclusion and empowerment for women in SOPPEXCCA. The current General manager of the cooperative is Fatima Ismael, who is responsible for over 800 individual coffee farmers.

Rosa: listed a number of advantages since she became a smallholder. Land can now be registered in a woman’s name, and encourages economic diversity and the setting up of micro-businesses apart from growing the cash crop – coffee. Gender equality is established as well as young people can see the improvements and realize that farming can offer a living wage and a future.

Maxima: Her coffee is sold under the Women’s coffee label – “Sisters. The Fairtrade money earned is allocated to school equipment for her children. With the low coffee prices, she has stated growing cocoa as a main cash crop. Cocoa benefits include:-

Stable higher income than coffee and is viewed as a “buffer” crop
Grows all the year round
Provides more money out of the coffee harvest season
Has started to make her own chocolate bars
Cocoa grows well at lower levels on land formally used for coffee production
She is seen as a role model for other female producers
Mutual skill sharing and utilizing cross-product marketing.

Myrtle: She established a small cafe on her coffee growing land and taught herself to become a barista by studying at weekends.

Climate change has a human cost as well as an immediate environmental crop.

Notes Produced by:
Mike King
Chairman, Wycombe Fairtrade

University of Bath’s Fairtrade Fortnight celebrations 2020 – Part 1 of 3

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Barney Smyth; Acting Senior Partnership Manager, Fairtrade Foundation. 1.45 pm.

Explored 2 Questions about Fairtrade.

What makes Fairtrade certification unique?

Why do Fairtrade producers, buyers and end consumers have faith in the Fairtrade logo.

Minimum price for a product e.g. coffee is paid to producers which irons out the world market price peaks and troughs. Eliminating these price fluctuations means that producers can plan ahead, and Fairtrade buyers know that coffee has been grown on Fairtrade terms. Currently Fairtrade farmers are paid $1.40 per pound of coffee. The current world price is between $1.00 and $1.20. This minimum price guarantee is paid when coffee prices rise. The Fairtade price is always 20 cents above the global coffee price. This Fairtrade price covers the costs of sustainable and environmentally friendly production.
Fairtrade farmers and producers receive an additional Fairtrade Premium on top of the selling price. This is usually another 1% of the value of the products. The producer cooperative workers, who know their own needs, can then decide to allocate this funding to:
– social projects
– improving community infrastructure
– Investing in a health centre
– buying in training and education
– building schools
– improving their businesses with new equipment
– Workers are thus empowered and can take control of their own livelihoods.
The Fairtrade logo is a recognised kitemark and reflects uniform assessment by FLOCERT, the independent WFTO body that assesses farmers; producers; suppliers; traders; and wholesalers that rigorous standards have been met and that regular inspections are made to trace and prove product traceability.

Barney Smith presented some interesting Fairtrade Foundation Statistics –

Fairtrade has been going for over 25years
– 90% of people in the UK recognize the Fairtrade logo
– 87% of people in the UK trust the logo
– 76% of people in the UK care about the third party/independent certification process
– 76% of people in the UK care about Fairtrade producers and farmers
– 76% of people in the UK actively seek and choose Fairtrade products

Why Fairtrade makes such a big difference?

Producers and farmers have a guaranteed income
They have decent working conditions
There is no child or forced labour
Men and women receive equal pay, empowering both genders
Fairtrade suppliers establish long-term working relationships with producer cooperatives
There are social, economic, and environmental benefits of belonging to a Fairtrade cooperative
The cost of belonging Fairtrade certified cooperative includes many other benefits such as technical and agricultural training for farmers and a chance to belong to network groups

Fairtrade Coffee Cooperative Statistics 2019

There are 582 Fairtrade coffee cooperatives located in Latin America, Africa, and SE Asia
762,000 farmers growing and selling Fairtrade coffee.
86% of all Fairtrade coffee originates from Central and South America
Fairtrade coffee production is worth in excess of 84 million Euros.
18% of Fairtrade coffee growers are women.

In a short accompanying video, one coffee grower stated that “Coffee is our life”, and more farmers need to sell coffee on Fairtrade terms where the environmental costs are factored in to the end price. The guaranteed price of Fairtrade coffee irons out the huge fluctuations in the market price.

“Climate change is a huge threat to livelihoods” but that farmers will have to adapt.

Notes Produced by:
Mike King
Chairman, Wycombe Fairtrade