Justice Seekers

EditorPeter Vander Meulen

Managing EditorMeghan Kraley

ContributorsCatherine CooperKaren BokmaBeth DeGraffKate KooymanTracy Young

Christian ReformedOffice of Social Justice

2850 Kalamazoo Ave SEGrand Rapids, MI 49560

(616) 241-1691

osjha@crcna.org

www.crcjustice.org

"FAIR TRADE is not merely a short-term solution to poverty. Rather fair trade offers a sustainable method of addressing poverty, gender equality, and other fun-damental challenges that stand in the way of long-term economic development."

Ten Thousand Villages News2

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Fair trade may seem like a tired issue. Many CRC churches – even the denomination’s headquarters –have been serving fair trade coffee for years. Most people agree that’s a good thing.

What else is there to talk about?

If you’ve been following OSJ’s communications this summer, you’ve heard a lot about the Eat Well Food Tour, a joint collaboration between the Office of Social Justice and *culture is not optional (*cino).

Armed with an awesome presentation on food, faith, and justice, Rob and Kirstin Vander Gies-sen-Reitsma have been traveling across the Midwest and Canada, stopping at local churches and farms to examine the ways our faith affects our consumption, and sharing what they’ve learned.

More than a few of us have begun to rethink our eating (and spending) habits as a result.

Buying local, organic food is a good thing. Supporting local farms and CSAs is a good thing. Eating more spinach than candy is a good thing.

But with so many movements touting the ‘right’ kind of food, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

Some of us might even wash our hands of the whole business, buying whatever is most con-venient and affordable. For those of us who are unsure about all of these “right food” move-ments, it’s helpful to focus on the importance of one movement—take fair trade:

When you make a fair trade purchase, you’re saying something more than “I want a good product.”

You’re saying that you don’t want to exploit the person who worked to create your product.

You’re saying that you’re willing to spend an extra few cents on your end, so that a producer in a developing country can have a chance to feed, clothe and educate her family.

You’re saying that your consumer power can be used to promote environmental sustainability and social justice.

The next time you’re at the store, choose just one product and commit to buying it fair trade. Once you’re comfortable with that, choose a second product. If you already belong to a CSA or shop at your neighborhood farmer’s market, by all means keep it up! But for those few prod-ucts your neighborhood just isn’t likely to produce, look for the fair trade label.

In the pages to come, we’ll take a look at the myriad ways the CRC has engaged with the is-sue of fair trade. Hopefully you’ll get a few ideas for your own home or congregation.

So kick back, curl up with a cup of joe (fair trade, of course!), and enjoy the summer issue of Justice Seekers!

OSJ Reflection Summer 2009

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Fair Trade?

Coffee Conscience

Beyond the Bean

Congregations

Resources

What it is and why it matters10 reasons to switch

Coffee Hour EthicsBrew JusticeFair Trade vs. Direct Trade: a Ugandan coffee cooperative

What counts as fair trade may surprise youGlobal Gifts—a fair trade store founded by Calvin CRC

Host an Alternative Gift MarketHelp your congregation make the switch

Discussion guides, videos, and more

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To be considered a fair trade product, the production process must meet several criteria, including the most obvious one – the producers must receive a fair price (negotiated locally) for their goods.

Other criteria include providing safe working conditions (which includes not using forced labor or mistreat-ing children), and being environmentally responsible. Most fair trade products are agricultural products, such as coffee and chocolate, or handicrafts.

“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms injustice; who makes his neighbors work for nothing, and does not give them their wages…” (Jeremiah 22:13)

The Basics: What is Fair Trade?

Fair Trade is an alternative way of doing business - one that builds equitable, long-term partner-ships between consumers in North America and producers in developing regions. Fair Trade busi-nesses commit to:

Paying a fair wage in the local context. Offering employees opportunities for advancement. Providing equal opportunities for all people, particularly the most disadvantaged. Engaging in environmentally sustainable practices. Being open to public accountability. Building long-term trade relationships. Providing healthy and safe working conditions within the local context. Providing financial and technical assistance to producers whenever possible.

What does fair really mean?

The word “fair” can mean a lot of different things to different people. In alternative trade organiza-tions, “Fair Trade” is about more than just paying a fair wage. It means that trading partnerships are based on reciprocal benefits and mutual respect; that prices paid to producers reflect the work they do; that workers have the right to organize; that national health, safety, and wage laws are enforced; and that products are environmentally sustainable and conserve natural resources.

When you purchase household items or crafts with the fair trade label, you can be certain that Fair Trade principles were respected. Consumers also know they they have purchased a unique item representing not only the talent of the artisan–often a woman from a developing country–but also the culture and traditions of the source country.

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To be considered a fair trade product, the production process must meet several criteria, including the most the producers must receive a fair price (negotiated locally) for their goods.

Other criteria include providing safe working conditions (which includes not using forced labor or mistreat-ing children), and being environmentally responsible. Most fair trade products are agricultural products, such

“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms injustice; who makes his neighbors work for nothing, and does not give them their wages…” (Jeremiah 22:13)

Shopping Fair Trade:

How do I know that a product is Fair Trade?

Some Fair Trade products, like coffee and chocolate, are Fair Trade Certified ™ and carry a label or “seal.” For other products, like handicrafts, there is not a certification system. However, you can still trust that handicrafts are fair trade by buying from organizations that are members of the Fair Trade Federation.

Look for the Label!

Fair Trade Federation (FTF) guarantees that a store or organization is fair trade rather than labeling a single product as fair trade. Members of FTF have gone through an evaluation to ensure that they only sell items that were sourced according to fair trade prin-ciples. This system enables FTF members to put a fair trade label on many products that TransFair certification doesn't cover, such as artisanal products like jewelry, pottery, clothing, and handbags.

TransFair is the only third party certifier of fair trade products in the US and Canada. This label means that the product displaying it is guaranteed to be fair trade. However, many other products sold at the same store are proba-bly not fair trade. (E.g. think of your local grocery store). The only products that are eligible for product labels are sports balls and various kinds of pro-duce such as coffee, chocolate, bananas, rice, sugar, and wine.

Product Label

Organization Label

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For decades, perhaps even centuries, the church in North America has observed the sa-cred institution of coffee hour. It is a time for the church to be together as family in fellowship. The following information is a guide to help us be as faithful in that moment as we can.

The prophet Amos exposed the disconnect between worship and the daily life of the people of God: "Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring ruin to the poor of the land, say-ing, ‘When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the Sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and prac-tice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and selling the sweepings of the wheat'" (Amos 8:4-6). The people of Amos' day seemed to wonder, "When will worship end so that we can go cheat and take advantage of the poor?"

Amos described people whose material pursuits had usurped their identity as the people of God. Their times of worship, the feast of the New Moon, and the celebration of the Sabbath, ought to have produced humility

mately fifty countries worldwide;most of these are developing nations, including Ethiopia, Co-lombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Mexico. Ten years ago, the countries that exported coffee earned about $12 billion from the market, but at the beginning of 2003 they saw only about $5.5 billion in income from the industry. Meanwhile, the retail value of their crop has risen from $30 billion to $70 billion over the last decade. The larg-est coffee roasters (Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Sara Lee, and Philip Morris) continue to profit from the industry.

Over twenty-five million coffee growers and their families throughout the developing world face poverty and hunger because of the coffee crisis. For every pound of coffee sold in the U.S., farmers receive less than $0.35 and pickers receive less than $0.14. Many workers in developing countries must live on less than a dollar a day. Often the amount a farmer re-ceives for coffee is significantly smaller than the cost of produc-tion, as in the Dak Lak Province of Vietnam, where farmers re-ceive only $0.60 at market for every $1 they invest in their crop. Government subsidies are becoming less available to far-

and generosity. Instead, they dwelt on their unjust pursuit of wealth. Their lives were not conformed to the Spirit of God, in spite of their worship. Wor-ship should effect change in the people of God and inspire them to more faithful living. It is ap-propriate, then, that Christians examine the pursuits they rush to after worship, the first of which is often the holy half-hour of coffee time. Worshiping com-munities have an opportunity to reflect the hospitality and grace of their Lord in their fellowship.

Unfortunately, many churches unknowingly contribute to the abuse of the poor and the deg-radation of God's creation by partaking in the seemingly harmless ritual of sharing cof-fee.

Coffee and the Poor

The nature of the world coffee market has turned a once hope-filled industry into a source of despair for most of the produc-ers of the world's coffee. Coffee prices have fallen over 50 per-cent from 2000 to 2003. They have reached a thirty-year low and do not seem to be stabiliz-ing. The people who suffer the most from this price decline are coffee farmers and producers. Coffee is grown in approxi-

“Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of theover so that we may sell grain; and the Sabbath, so that we may offer wheat forthe shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silverselling the sweepings of the wheat.’” (Amos 8)

Coffee Hour Ethics

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A Faithful Coffee Hour

Of course, churches do not want to intentionally participate in the destruction of God's crea-tion or the abuse of the poor. In the face of these discouraging realities, what can a church do? There are simple steps that can be taken, which make a big dif-ference. Churches can be in-tentional about which coffee they purchase and use. Alterna-tive coffees that keep the poor and the environment in mind are becoming more available.

Fair Trade Coffee. By purchas-ing this coffee churches can be assured that farmers and pick-ers are being paid a fair wage. Fair Trade coffee may cost more, but churches and individ-ual Christians can see their cof-fee purchasing as a missional opportunity, gladly paying more for a product that benefits the poor.

Environmentally Friendly Coffee. Other certifications re-fer to environmental concerns. Certified organic coffee is grown without the use of chemi-cals, eliminating much of the pollution associated with coffee production. Shade-grown coffee is grown within the existing

forest canopy. This technique produces a smaller crop, but does not destroy ecosystems for the sake of coffee. Often, companies that produce coffee with the above certifications also take a proactive role in de-veloping the communities where the coffee is grown. They work to improve standards of living for farmers and pickers and to provide a better educa-tion for their children. Churches can feel good about contribut-ing to that work, much of which takes place in the same parts of the world where Christian mis-sionaries serve.

Coffee hour is a valuable tradi-tion in most churches. It is also one of the only times that the family of faith regularly gathers to fellowship together. No one wants this time of fellowship to contribute to injustice, and these simple changes provide an opportunity to honor the same Lord the family of faith gathers to worship. May the people of God continually ex-amine their practices and al-ways be willing to change or sacrifice a little in the pursuit of faithful living.

--From the 2004 Report of the Commission on Christian Action to the RCA General Synod

mers and millions of families lose their land and become homeless and hungry.

Coffee and the Envi-ronment

The coffee industry also takes a toll on creation. Environmental impact stems from the destruc-tion of forestland and other eco-systems for farming. Some of the world's most endangered habitats are routinely destroyed to be replaced by coffee crop, damaging biodiversity, threat-ening species, and displacing populations (exotic birds are especially affected).

The often reckless process of clearing the land also causes increased soil erosion. The pol-lution (pesticides and fertilizers) associated with coffee farming in developing countries is gen-erally far less regulated than in industrialized nations.

In addition, natural predators are eliminated when forests are clear-cut, causing pests to pro-liferate and pesticide use to be-come increasingly aggressive. Soil erosion also increases the problem of runoff, distributing chemicals to waterways and water sources.

needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, ‘When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the Sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and

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Instead of buying coffee from supermar-kets or plopping down money for a cup of java at the local coffee shop, why not con-sider becoming part of the fair trade move-ment?

Why not purchase fair trade coffee through the CRC?

To help spread awareness of fair trade, CRWRC and the Office of Social Justice are participating in a program that pur-chases Brew Justice coffee. It tastes good and helps those who raise it at the same time.

“The money will go to fund justice projects in the CRC like the Green Grant,” says Kate Kooyman, congregational social jus-tice mobilizer for the church. The Green Grant project provides grants to CRC con-gregations that are undertaking eco-friendly projects.

“We look at it this as an educational oppor-tunity about why fair trade is good for farm-ers, what it has to do with our faith, how we can make small changes to our daily lives to follow God's call to do justice,” says Kooyman.

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Brew Justice coffee is described as a ro-bust blend of Mexican medium and dark roasts, with a rich, full body and lasting fla-vor. The coffee is roasted specially by Higher Grounds Trading Co. in Traverse City, Mich.

With every purchase of Brew Justice fair trade coffee, a congregation supports CRWRC and CRC justice programming --not to mention providing a fair wage and opportunities for a coffee farmer in a devel-oping nation. Churches can also sell Brew Justice to support their own youth or mis-sions groups.

Many resources are available to help churches learn more about fair trade cof-fee. The Office of Social Justice can assist churches in learning more, in bringing fair trade coffee to a church’s fellowship hour, in holding a fair trade fundraiser, and more. Visit the OSJ’s fair trade page to learn more about the importance of buying fair trade.

Brew Justice is available in dark, medium, and decaf roasts.

Orders can be for pre-ground or whole bean. Individuals can or-der a one-pound bag from Higher Grounds for $10, and churches can make bulk orders by ordering five-pound bags for $36.25 (shipping not included).

In the US, contact Kate Kooyman at (616) 241-1691 x236 or kkooyman@crnca.org. In Canada, contact Karen Bokma: kbokma@crcna.ca or 1-800-730-3490 for more information.

Brew Justice is currently sold only in the US, but Canadian churches are urged to visit transfair.ca for fair trade coffee in their area.

The fair trade coffee is part of a CRC pro-ject, but should not take away from others that are already supporting farmers and fairly-traded goods through other means.

“We tell the people who have been enjoy-ing the coffee grown through the Farmer to Farmer program (Partners Worldwide) that they should keep doing that,” says Kooy-man.

And churches that have been buying their coffee from local fair trade stores such as Global Gifts should keep doing that.

“Brew Justice is meant to be an easy way to introduce new people and churches to buying fair trade,” says Kooyman.

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magine if when you sat down with your cup of coffee this morning that you were sitting across the table from the farmer who grew and picked your beans. What might you talk about together?

Perhaps you would learn about her family and friends. Maybe you would learn how business was going, and maybe discuss her hopes and dreams for the future. Maybe you would share those things as well.

The Relationship Coffee Com-pany can’t provide exactly this kind of experience, but they sure want to come close.

The company, developed by Ugandan coffee farmers and Canadian volunteer Dick Nag-tegaal, aims to develop a last-

model is the company’s com-mitment to a long-term relation-ship with its farmers.

For some fair and direct trade companies, if a farmer group is no longer providing the profit levels that the company wants, they may simply walk away and find another producer group to work with.

“Obviously, this ignores the sustainable aspect,” Nagtegaal says.

Relationship Coffee Company, on the other hand, is in for the long haul because of what Nag-tegaal calls the “relationship business model.”

By committing to the long-term development and quality of life of the producer group, Relation-

More than Fair:Taking direct and fair trade to a new level

ing, true relationship with its farmers, the benefits of which can be felt from Uganda to North America.

Nagtegaal, a member of Dun-can CRC in British Columbia, says that while the coffee com-pany operates on fair trade prin-ciples, they want to go several steps further and include their farmers at all levels of the coffee production, from harvest to roasting and even to marketing and selling of the final product.

“It creates the sharing of all lev-els of income in the coffee busi-ness,” he explains. “Equal part-nership creates a more stable, sustainable opportunity for the farmer.”

The distinctive feature of Rela-tionship Coffee’s business

Fair Trade is a kind of trademarked certifi-cation, administered by an independent monitor-ing group. If a coffee is certified to be Fair Trade, that means that the beans meet certain criteria in both quality and economics.

In return for the quality and labor standards met, the producing coffee plantations are guaranteed a minimum floor price for their beans at auction, re-sulting in a higher wage for the growers.

Direct trade is a general umbrella term for coffees that are imported directly from the growers themselves, rather than brokered in bulk at auction.

The roastery develops a direct relationship with the owners of coffee farms, negotiating individual terms and prices. Because there are no middle-men or outside agencies involved to take their cuts, the growers receive a much higher price for their beans.

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ship Coffee Company is helping its farmers to lift themselves out of poverty, achieve income se-curity, and training in production and business skills.

Nagtegaal hasn’t always been in the coffee biz. A biologist for the Canadian government for over thirty years, he has always felt a desire to work with people in Africa.

One day he picked up the phone and called CRWRC to see if there was a need he could meet.

Nagtegaal’s interest was an an-swer to prayers, as CRWRC staff in Uganda were in discus-sions with local coffee farmers about how to improve their farms and market their coffee.

Relationship Coffee partners have spoken about the unique business model in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Tanza-nia, gaining interest everywhere they go.

“I have just enjoyed watching these people take ideas that they have thought about before but could never do, and de-velop them into a successful improvement in their life situa-tion,” says Nagtegaal. “They are very industrious and inno-vative thinkers and doers.”

And thanks to the promise of a long-term relationship, people who once struggled to feed, clothe and educate their fami-lies are seeing bright new pos-sibilities for themselves and their communities.

Once Nagtegaal came on board with his passion for the project, the Relationship Coffee Com-pany was born.

“Working with the African peo-ple has been excellent,” Nag-tegaal says. “The core contacts I have are very dedicated to the cause and once they were em-powered and started to work with the business model, they have been great ambassadors for this new approach.”

The enthusiasm of Nagetgaal’s Ugandan partners have gone even beyond his expectations. The government of Uganda has learned of the relationship busi-ness model and asked com-pany representatives to come and explain the approach to officials.

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Interested in learning more about the Relationship Coffee Company, or starting your own relationship by purchasing Relationship Coffee products?

Check out relationshipcoffee.biz to order coffee, read about the more than 35 villages participating in the company, and more about the relationship business model.

HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECT:

Farmers in Errusi, in Northern Uganda, have been able to start upgrading their homes. Most of the farmers in the villages in this district have lived in grass huts all their lives.

With some of the additional income from the sale of coffee, they have purchased corrugated metal sheets which they will use to replace their existing grass roofs.

This is a huge change for them since the metal roof will better protect them during the rainy sea-son and in windstorms.

Providing the opportunity to send their children to elementary school or high school will make a big difference for employment and improved life-style.

Training for improved agricultural practices, cof-fee processing and detailed record keeping is ongoing.

NEWS FROM AFRICA: Relationship Coffee’s latest newsletter

We currently are working with farmers in 35 villages in the Padyere, Jonam and Okoro counties in the Nebbi and Arua Districts. These highland areas provide ideal ecological conditions for production of high quality Arabica coffee. Altitude ranges from 1500 m to 2200 m and the temperature ranges between 13 to 26 degrees Celsius. The soil is very rich and fertile in this West Nile region.

Each farmer has approximately 0.2 hectare of land. Since these farms are quite small, agricultural prac-tices can be monitored closely and the quality of care for each coffee tree maintained at a high level. Beans are hand picked at just the perfect ripeness and processed the same day.

The coffee beans are catalogued and labeled separately by each farmer so they can be easily tracked to the final product.

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BACK TO SCHOOLConsider fair trade sources when

picking up everything from backpacks, to notebooks and even pencil sharpeners.

And who knew, you can even supply the PE class with fair trade footballs, soccer balls and basketballs.

HALLOWEENSpread the word about Fair Trade without even leaving your front porch! Global Exchange offers a "Fair Trade is Boo-tiful" action kit for Halloween trick-or-treaters that includes fair trade candy and info postcards.

CHRISTMASTalk about gifts that keep on giving! Not only can you gift your friends and family with everything from toys to jewelry to kitchen supplies, you can also decorate your home for the season with nativities, ornaments and textiles.

Beyond the Bean:

More ways to bring fair trade into your life!

Coffee is probably the most popular of Fair Trade prod-

ucts, but with a little creative planning, you can use Fair Trade products for far more than your morning pick-me-

up. Here's a quick trip through a year of fair trade.

To find a fair-trade store near you, visit transfairusa.org or

transfair.ca.

Or you can shop online! tenthousandvillages.comglobalexchangestore.org

Visit fairtradesports.com or globalexchangestore.org for the items above.

Consider hosting an Alternative Gift Market this year. Find out how on page 22.

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BACK TO SCHOOLConsider fair trade sources when

picking up everything from backpacks, to notebooks and even pencil sharpeners.

And who knew, you can even supply the PE class with fair trade footballs, soccer balls and basketballs.

Global Exchange offers a "Fair Trade is Boo

EASTERMany of our churches celebrate Palm Sunday by having the little ones wave

palm fronds as they walk past the pews, but you may be surprised to

learn the behind-the-scenes story. Ask your church to consider "eco-palms" for Palm Sunday this year - fronds that are

harvested in a more environmentally responsible way and provide workers

with a fairer wage.

SPRINGIt's the season for wedding bells, and that means lots of gifts for the new couple. But newlyweds-to-be are no longer limited to big-box retailers for their chinaware: fair trade retailers Ten Thousand Vil-lages and Global Exchange offer gift registries, so new couples can spread the love to artisans around the world.

VALENTINES DAYGiving your sweetheart Fair-Trade Certified flowers this February will provide a whole lot of sweetness to growers and harvesters around the world.

Put in your orders by March 9 at

ecopalms.org

Visit fairtradesports.com or globalexchangestore.org for the items above.

Consider hosting an Alternative Gift Market this year. Find out how on page 22.

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Feeling a void after Calvin College moved to Knollcrest, members of the Calvin CRC social justice committee decided their com-munity needed a boost. Their solution? A new fair trade store, called Global Gifts.

Founded in 1986, Global Gifts is still going strong, over twenty years later. Although the store has grown beyond the confines of Calvin CRC, the congregation still pro-vides support through membership on its board and financial contributions. Except for a part-time paid manager, Global Gifts is run entirely by volunteers from the sur-rounding community.

Joyce Vugteveen of Eastern Avenue CRC is one such volunteer. Having spent three years working in the store and two years on its board, Vugteveen is extremely pas-sionate about fair trade.

“I like retail, and have always been an ad-vocate for the poor, both locally and over-seas,” says Vugteveen. “I’ve traveled to parts of Africa – we don’t know what pov-erty is here. That just really increased my desire to do something. And the nice thing about retirement is you can choose.”

Vugteveen is one of thirty-some regulars who volunteer at the store, selling every-thing from coffee and chocolate to musical instruments and nativity scenes.

“We get new product in every week,” says Vugteveen. “We’re always trying new ven-dors.”

Many of the items sold at Global Gifts can be traced back to the exact artisan who made them, with little stories explaining how profits are used to help those in need. Shoppers can even join a Country Club program to receive a discount after pur-chasing items from five different countries.

Providing a market for handcrafted items helps many individuals and families of third world countries become self-supporting and also gives them the dignity that comes with having an occupation. The more goods sold by Global Gifts, and other fair trade stores like it, the more income is pro-vided.

“I say often to customers – when you buy a gift here, it’s really a two for one deal. A gift for the recipient, and another gift for the artisan who made it,” says Vugteveen.

Sales are up almost 50% this summer. “With this economy, we’re all much more conscious of how we spend our money,” says Vugteveen. “Everyone wants to do good. You just have to inform them.”

To learn more about Global Gifts, visit www.globalgiftsgr.com, or check out their store at 2055 28th Street, Grand Rapids.

A Fair Trade Success Story in Grand Rapids

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Games

Wallets

Tote Bags

Teas and Jams

Household items

Table linens

Jewelry

Pottery

Tea sets

World music

Candle holders

Just a few of items regularly found at Global Gifts:

Coffee

Chocolate

Christmas Ornaments

Scarves

Toys

Nativities

Journals

Cookbooks

Handmade cards

Musical instruments

Carved figurines

Purses

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Utilizing local distributors helps participants continue their fair trade buying habits long after the event is over.

The youth group at Calvary CRC in Wyo-ming, Michigan held their own Fair Trade Fair during Advent with great results.

To promote the fair, the youth group leader showed a few videos from the group Ad-vent Conspiracy (adventconspiracy.org), encouraging people to think differently about the Christmas season.

Then they asked Global Gifts, a local fair trade store, to set up some items for sale, as well as a table of “goodies” like coffee, chocolate, CRWRC gift catalogues, and some general info about what fair trade is.

The event was a huge success. “I’ll stop by Global Gifts for more Christmas presents later this week,” John heard a few people mention.

Of course, such events can happen any time of year. Read the tips on the following page to learn how you can get your own fair trade event up and running!

Congregation

CornerCrossroads CRC in San Marcos, California is currently gearing up to host their third consecutive Alternative Christmas Market, an event for community members to pur-chase fair trade foodstuffs and handicrafts in a global bazaar-like setting.

Crossroads partners with other churches in the area to host the event, and have held the market at a family home as well as a community center. They’ve discovered that people look forward to the event every year.“

The alternative gift market is a brilliant idea,” said one shopper, “because you can buy well priced one-of-a-kind items for your loved ones and the proceeds go to help others who are in greater need.”

Not to mention shoppers can avoid the rush and hubbub of the local malls!

Crossroads starts to plan for their market in late summer by forming a small commit-tee. Some members work on marketing and promotion, while others are charged with contacting vendors.

They also brainstorm ways to incorporate education and advocacy into the event, while keeping it fun.

Their first year, the committee partnered with a local petting zoo to arrange for cam-els to roam the market!

Many churches have their own ministry connections that sell fair trade products.

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Host a Fair Trade Fair or an Alternative Christmas Market!

A few easy tips to set up your own event:

Get started soon! Some churches feel more comfortable having events like these off-site, which will require some planning. Others are easy to throw together and don’t require much work. But you never know until you begin! Get a group of like-minded people together for a cup of Brew Justice and talk about what you might do at your church.

Don’t try to do it all alone! Stores like Global Gifts often love to come to church events like these – they can make some sales while also promoting what they’re passionate about: fair trade. If you’re in West Michigan, contact Vonnie Portinga at Global Gifts: jpoortenga@msn.com. Others in the US and Canada can find a similar resource by visiting tenthousandvillages.com and clicking on “stores and festivals.”

Consider making such an event a learning and advocacy opportunity as well. At Cross-roads, each table has a different fact about global poverty, and there is a place you can write letters to support the Millennium Development Goals.

Get ideas from the events highlighted on the next page. For more help with any of the above, contact Kate, kkooyman@crcna.org.

Want to get your

congregation in on the

fair trade movement?

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Serve fairly traded coffee at all church functions and in your church offices. Inform your congregation why you made the switch.

Educate your congregation. Ask you members to serve fair trade coffee in their homes and offices.

Influence your community to use fair trade products by advocating at coffee shops, groceries, and restaurants.

Let us know what happens! Email osjha@crcna.org so we can help celebrate your success.

Find out about your congregation’s current coffee purchases. What brand, what price, in what quantity, who provides it, and who makes the decisions about what to buy?

Research the business side of switching to fair trade coffee. Who are possible suppliers or roasters? How will your costs be affected? How will your equipment and service affect your choices? Is there a potential for fundraising to cover any extra costs?

Gather a group or class together to feature this issue of Justice Seekers. You may want to start with some questions like these: How is fair trade coffee grown and pro-duced? What is certification? How does it help farmers and the environment?

Identify a person with the vision, energy, and time to provide project leadership.

Help your Congregation Make the Switch

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Serve fairly traded coffee at all church functions and in your church offices.

Educate your congregation. Ask you members to serve fair trade coffee in their

Influence your community to use fair trade products by advocating at coffee

Let us know what happens! Email osjha@crcna.org so we can help celebrate

Find out about your congregation’s current coffee purchases. What brand, what price, in what quantity, who provides it, and who makes the decisions about what to buy?

You may want to start with some questions like these: How is fair trade coffee grown and pro-duced? What is certification? How does it help farmers and the environment?

Identify a person with the vision, energy, and time to provide project leadership.

Help your Congregation Make the Switch

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Fair Trade Coffee Kit

Visit our website for a congregational resource packet on fair trade coffee. The kit includes practical examples, devotionals, and other resources for a small study group or Sunday school class. There’s also a PowerPoint pres-entation to help get others on board. Visit the Issues page on crcjustice.org, then click Fair Trade.

Fair Trade: Using Our Purchasing Power for Justice and Hope

This print resource walks the reader through the principles of Fair Trade by means of personal narration, Bible passages, questions for reader to reflect upon, and challenges to engage the reader in learning about Fair Trade. Available from partnersforjusttrade.org.

Black Gold

This feature-length film traces the tangled trail from the two billion cups of coffee consumed each day back to the coffee farmers who produce the beans.

Black Gold reminds viewers of their power to affect positive social change by way of their consumer vote. After seeing this film your coffee will never taste the same.

Brew Justice

Purchasing this fair trade coffee blend benefits justice programming in the CRC. You can also sell it as a fundraiser for your church group or school! Visit crcjustice.org to learn more—click on ‘Fair Trade’ under ‘Issues’.

Additional Information

There are plenty of additional fact sheets and resources out there. Visit Transfairusa.org, TransFair.ca, or FairTrade.net for starters.

We’re always willing to lend a hand! Contact osjha@crcna.org for speakers, help in organizing a fair trade event, or with any questions that might arise along the way.

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Fair Cup Discussion Guide

Small Group Warm-up

Choose one or both of these openers for your discussion time.

1. Ask your group to think of a time when they lived on a low or limited income. Have each person write 1-3 key words (“in college,” “unemployed,” “medical bills,” etc.) about their situation on a large sticky note and gather them on a poster pa-per up front. Ask group members to briefly share their stories.

2. Write the following quote on a board or flip chart, or read it and ask your group members to guess who said it. (Abraham Lincoln) Discuss historical and Biblical situations where this was true. Is it true today?

“There has never been but one question in all civilization – how to keep a few men from saying to many men: You will work and earn bread and we will eat it.”

Brewing a Biblical Perspective

Take a look at these Scripture verses and talk about some of the following questions to-gether.

Isaiah 58:6-8 Jeremiah 22:13Romans 12:21 I Cor. 12:26 II Tim. 1:7

Discussion Starters

1. Your congregation likely has a tradition of offering relief to the poor. It’s a tangible ex-pression of our faith, including financial support to help carry on vital mission in Jesus’ name. Look over the background paper in this Intro Pack. Talk about whether our con-sumer dollars could economically harm the people our offering dollars help.

2. You recall Jesus’ encounter with the moneychangers at the temple (Jn. 2:13-17). They were extorting people who were coming to the temple to worship…taking advantage of their plight and hindering their ability to worship God. Could we, who are economically prosperous, unknowingly be the “moneychangers” of our day? What awarenesses could you begin to develop to avoid unintentionally taking advantage of those who struggle eco-nomically? Do you believe your choices and actions will make a difference in the world, exemplify your faith and honor God?

3. Because coffee is one of the world’s most heavily traded commodities, it affects a tre-mendous number of people globally. Coffee is grown primarily in economically disadvan-taged countries and consumed mostly in economically prosperous countries. What would it take for your group or congregation to make your next cup of coffee a fair cup? Are there others who would join you in forming a “coffee cooperative” of your own?

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The Office of Social Justice is a ministry of the CRCNA

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