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Presbyterian Coffee Project: Connecting Advocates & Small Farmers |
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Written by Molly Williams
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We celebrated two milestones this year, the 20th anniversary of Equal Exchange and the 5th anniversary of the Presbyterian Coffee Project. So far, 2,261 Presbyterian organizations have purchased Equal Exchange Fair Trade coffee, chocolate, and tea for their churches, camps, and workplaces through this dynamic and vibrant partnership with the “Enough for Everyone” program of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Through the Presbyterian Coffee Project, Equal Exchange makes a donation per pound of coffee, tea and chocolate that each church sells to a small farmer fund that PC(USA) uses to further help small-scale farmers around the world.
 The Presbyterian Coffee Project has created many Presbyterian Fair Trade advocates, such as Robin Polastri, who attended a workshop three years ago given by Melanie Hardison, the coordinator of the “Enough for Everyone” program, and was instantly intrigued. Robin went home and convinced her church to start selling Fair Trade coffee, tea, and chocolate. In the past few years Robin has become a strong advocate for Fair Trade. She’s been on two Equal Exchange
delegations to El Salvador and has become an Equal Exchange investor. Robin has shared her experiences with others in her community. “It’s so easy to do this. Making a commitment to Fair Trade just takes a little change in your thinking.”
Robin was invited to participate in the Equal Exchange 20th Anniversary Stakeholder Summit this past July in order to broaden her knowledge about complex issues within the movement. She addressed the audience, emphasizing the
importance of having small-scale farmers active in conversations about Fair Trade. At the Summit she had the opportunity to reconnect with Melanie Hardison, who was inspired to see what Robin and her congregation have accomplished over the past three years. “They truly took Fair Trade to heart and ran with it,” she
said, “making their lives and their congregation relevant in the world.
This is the church at its best!”
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