KICK THE CAN!

Protest Exploitation of Farmers

Nationwide Day of Action Against Folgers

December 15, 2001

Millions of coffee farmers around the world who depend on their harvests to provide for their families are facing debt and starvation. That's because global coffee prices have plummeted in recent years, and are now at an all-time low of less than 50 cents per pound. This worldwide coffee crisis threatens to ruin an entire generation of families and is causing problems such as malnutrition in Nicaragua, rural unrest in Mexico, and increased drug cultivation in Colombia.

At the Procter and Gamble shareholder meeting on October 9, 2001, Global Exchange called on Folgers, the largest coffee brand in the US, to immediately begin offering its consumers the choice to buy "Fair Trade certified" coffee.  Folgers said No!

Last year, Fair Trade cooperatives produced 165 million pounds of coffee ­ yet only 30 million pounds were sold under Fair Trade terms.  That means 135 million pounds of coffee - that we need to create a demand for!  With just 5% of Procter & Gamble¹s purchasing, we could DOUBLE the amount of Fair Trade coffee sold WORLDWIDE!!

Even as farmers struggle to survive, consumers haven't seen any discounts because Folgers is pocketing the difference. While P & G¹s Folgers brand made over $1 billion last year, the average coffee farmer made about $300. This is outrageous and morally unacceptable!

The Solution? Fair Trade Coffee

"Fair Trade Certified" coffee guarantees farmers a minimum of $1.26 per pound.  With this income, farmers can put food on the table and shoes on their kids' feet. Although 100 other US coffee companies have already made a commitment to Fair Trade, Folgers has not yet done so, choosing instead to let millions of farmers and their families get roasted and ground.

Outraged?  What you can DO:

What you can do:

*    Participate in the "Nationwide Folgers Day of Action" on December 15,

2001. Let Folgers know that it's wrong to exploit farmers in a time of crisis.  Download the Day of Action flyer http://www.globalexchange.org/economy/coffee/folgers.html

*    Distribute leaflets about the coffee crisis and Folgers wherever

Folgers is sold. Download the leaflet at the website above.

*    Write or fax a letter to Procter and Gamble, the company that owns

Folgers.  Fax a letter direct from our website at our website above. To send an e-mail, go to the Folgers website http://www.folgers.com.  Call them at 1-800-937-9745 to demand Fair Trade coffee.

*    Gather petitions asking Folgers to start retailing Fair Trade coffee.

http://www.globalexchange.org/economy/coffee/folgers.html

*    Call or write us for more ideas and details, and to let us know if

you¹re planning an action.  Contact Melissa at melissa@globalexchange.org or 415.255.7296 x245.

Farmers deserve Fair Trade!!

Let's all get together and KICK THE CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The Associated Press

Wednesday, October 10, 2001,

P&G eschews fair-trade coffee offered by some sellers

By JOHN NOLAN

CINCINNATI‹Procter & Gamble Co. is resisting the decision of some companies to sell coffee that returns more profits to growers. Instead, P&G prefers its tradition of helping poor communities where the coffee is grown.

P&G, an industry leader with $1 billion in annual coffee sales through its Folgers brand, says its operations in coffee-producing countries have raised millions of dollars to support education programs, build or remodel schools and donate computers to schools. The company produces coffee in countries ranging from Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico to Thailand and China.

P&G spokeswoman Margaret Swallow said the company believes direct assistance to growers' communities and schools is more effective than selling what is called fair-trade coffee.

"Fair-trade coffee is just one element," Swallow said. "If you look at the big picture, there are a lot of ways to do it."

But an activist urging P&G to sell fair-trade coffee products said Wednesday that she thinks it helps growers work their way out of poverty.

Deborah James, fair-trade director for the San Francisco-based human rights group Global Exchange, said she is waiting for P&G's response to the request she made at its annual shareholders meeting Tuesday.

Sara Lee Corp., whose brands include Chock Full o' Nuts and Chase & Sanborn, began offering fair-trade coffee earlier this year, James said. Starbucks Coffee Co. began selling it a year ago.

P&G and Kraft Foods, which sells Maxwell House, haven't warmed up the idea, and activists pushing the cause have a tall order.

Less than 1 percent of the coffee sold in the United States is of the fair-trade variety. An annual survey this year by the National Coffee Association found low awareness of what fair-trade coffee is, spokesman Gary Goldstein said Wednesday.

"In the industry at this point, it's not even a drop in the bucket," said Mike Ferguson, spokesman for the Specialty Coffee Association of America.

Fair-trade organizations say they bypass middlemen and deal directly with coffee growers, to reduce costs and return a greater percentage of the retail price to producers.

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Deborah James, Fair Trade Director, deborah@globalexchange.org Melissa Schweisguth, Fair Trade Coordinator, melissa@globalexchange.org Global Exchange 415.255.7296  x245 415.255.7498  fax 2017 Mission Street #303, San Francisco, CA 94110 http://www.globalexchange.org/economy/coffee

Buying Fair Trade Certified coffee is a simple, easy thing you can do on a daily basis to support fairness for farmers around the world.  At least when it comes to our daily brew, there is finally an independently monitored alternative to sweatshops that sets a standard for Fair Trade in the global