Did you know that McDonald’s in Switzerland and over 2000 McDonald’s outlets in the U.S. serve Fair Trade branded coffee? And that one in every three products sold at Tesco’s, the largest grocery chain in the UK, is a Fair Trade product? And if you travel through Britain with Virgin Rail, you’ll only be served Fair Trade coffee?
Fair Trade is about a fair price for Third World producers. It’s a huge phenomenon in Europe, the US and Canada and it’s set to grow in Australia.
By buying República® Coffee, you can make a big difference to the Third World – at little cost to yourself. And that’s why Corporate Express has signed an exclusive agreement to bring Republica® Fair Trade Coffee to its corporate customers.
“We are the only people in the office products industry who actively promote Fair Trade coffee,” says Anthony Izzillo, Coporate Express', National Merchandising Manager, Liquor, Coffee and Kitchen Divisions.
“We’ve created a joint venture with República® Coffee because we very strongly support the ideals of the Fair Trade brand.
“We believe that it’s important to offer our customers the option to buy products which support living wages and safe and healthy conditions for workers in the developing world – it’s very much part of our commitment to a sustainable future for the planet,” he says.
What is Fair Trade?
Fair Trade began in Europe in the 1980s when the price of coffee plummeted in the international markets.
The movement is now a world-wide phenomenon, and is responsible for the sale of cereals, biscuits, wine, bananas and mangoes – in fact, just about everything that can be produced from Third World countries – which is then sold at a fair price in retail outlets across the world.
There are 25 million coffee farmers in Third World countries, and many of them have formed cooperatives with the support of the Fair Trade foundation.
Vendors like Jacqueline Arias, founder and director of República®, a 100 per cent Australian-owned coffee importing company, do business under the Fair Trade system.
“Fair Trade farmers and vendors like me buy and sell from each other, so we bypass the middleman, and we bypass government agreements as well,” she says.
“This gives Third World farmers direct access to markets. The Fair Trade organisation helps farmers in Third World countries ensure they receive a fair price for their produce, which is always above the international commodities exchange market (in this instance, for coffee) – plus a premium,” she says.
The premium can be used in a variety of ways to improve local conditions. For example, 19,000 Timorese Fair Trade coffee farmers use the premium they earn to fund a mobile health clinic to provide local health care services.
“Some farmers use the premium to build better roads or better facilities to process the coffee.
“The farmers themselves set the goals and Fair Trade works with them to help them achieve those goals.
“I believe that the Australian business community has a really an important role to play in the Fair Trade movement.
“By being prepared to pay a little bit more for their coffee, they can support the idea of a fair price for a day’s work.
“Those who support Fair Trade are leaders – they’re really at the forefront of this movement, and they’re sending a message to their employees and to their customers, about who they really are, and what they stand for.
"They’re saying: ‘We can afford to make a difference. We’re going to drink Fair Trade coffee because it's not going to cost much more, and it will make a difference to someone on the other side of the world',” she says.
Footnote: Jacqueline advises that other organisations are cashing in on the Fair Trade idea, without contributing to Third World producers. She adds "Look out for products that carry the ‘FAIRTRADE’ logo. If they don’t they’re not real Fair Trade products".
Coffee from Republica
República® is a 100 per cent Australian-owned company founded by director, Jacqueline Arias, in 2005. Republica is committed to delivering deliciously good, premium quality coffee, and ensuring everyone in the process gets a fair go.
República® only buys premium quality, organic Arabica coffee grown by farmers in the Third World. The beans are brought to a roasting plant in Sydney, and blended together to create great tasting coffee to suit plungers and espresso machines.
República® Organic Signature Blend
• Full buttery body, exquisite aroma with a nutty chocolate edge.
• Beans are available in 1kg and 200g bags for espresso and plunger grind.
República® Organic Timor
• This premium-grade Arabica coffee is organically grown with pride and expertise by more than 19,000 farmers on the lush green hillsides of the world’s newest nation.
• A rich body, fruity aroma with a delicious subtle dark chocolate aftertaste. Beans are available in 1kg bags for espresso and plunger grind.
República® Peru Organic Decaf
• Direct from the Peruvian Andes, this striking Arabica coffee is organically grown at an altitude of 2000 metres!
• These hand-picked beans are decaffeinated using pure water only.
• A full rich body, exceptional floral aroma and an earthy complex character.
• Beans are available in 200g bags for espresso and plunger grind.
Want more information on República® Coffee? Go to republicacoffee.com.au
Want more information on Fair Trade? Go to www.fairtrade.org.uk
