Understanding Roya: The Coffee Rust
A coffee leaf affected by the “coffee rust fungus” or Roya. Photo by Scott Umstattd.
Roya- or coffee “rust”- is an orange fungus that grows on the leaves of coffee plants, causing them to whither and fall off. It reduces coffee production and eventually causes plants to die, and it is quickly spreading through Central America. We witnessed the effects of roya during our trip to Guatemala in January, and shortly after our return, the Guatemalan government issued a national coffee emergency, anticipating some 70 percent of its 2013 coffee harvest to be affected by the fungus. Bill, who on the trip visited the same small-scale farm of Chel-based Pedro Pacheco Bop that he visited in 2011, saw a drastic change. “I was shocked. It was not the lush green coffee forest that we saw 2 years ago. His farm was noticeably different.” Roya has affected other coffee growing regions in the past, most notably devastating coffee crops of the British Ceylon (or modern-day Sri Lanka) in the 1800s, and later affecting coffee crops in Indonesia and Brazil and some areas of Central America and the Caribbean as recent as 30-40 years ago. Scientists remain undecided on what is causing the outbreak. An increasingly changing climate- where longer periods of wet and warmer temperatures are reaching high-altitude coffeelands- is one culprit. But John Vandermeer, a scientist at the University of Michigan, believes that an ecosystem damaged by the excessive use of pesticides and fungicides is to blame. For example, a white halo fungus, which has helped to keep coffee rust in-check, has been nearly eradicated through chemical applications in Central America that have also killed off the insects that help germinate it. Coffee industry professionals throughout Central America are looking to get the fungus under control, and small-scale farmers like Pacheco Bop will turn to his cooperative, the Asociacion Chajulense, for expertise and technical help on how to deal with roya. Bill sees this as a critically important role that the cooperative plays. “The coop has technical advisers on staff who are working on this right now,” he said. “And this is an example of another moment where being a part of a larger organization and working together and collaborating is the best way for the farmer to get through this,” he said. The effects of a diminished harvest will be especially bitter for the coffee farmer this year, as the price of coffee has dropped from last year’s near 15-year high. “They’re not getting nearly the amount of supply, so they’re getting affected by the negative trend of production and the negative trend of pricing,” he said. “Just when it looks like it is getting good, then watch out… such is the life of the farmer.” Café Campesino will continue to be committed to learning more about roya and responding to the needs of the cooperatives at origin. “The best thing we can do is support whatever decisions they make,” said Bill.
Discounts: 10% off coffees & 30% off Fair Trade Handbags
COFFEE: Welcome Bolivia Medium Roast and Guatemala French Roast to our single origin coffee line-up. Meant to complement (not replace) our existing Bolivian and Guatemalan coffees, these new roast profiles offer a new way to experience some old favorites. Enter code spring2012 at your online checkout to get a 10% discount on either coffee until April 23.
FAIR TRADE HANDBAGS: Malia Designs sells handbags that are “designed to carry a cause.” The company aims to create a 
business where everyone – from producers to customers – can benefit from their efforts to bring beautifully designed handbags and accessories to American markets. The company seeks to empower disadvantaged women in Cambodia by providing economic opportunities through Fair Trade. In a country where sexual exploitation is commonplace, this access to sustainable income decreases their vulnerability to prostitution and human trafficking. Malia Designs also aims to break the cycle of trafficking by donating to organizations fighting child trafficking and empowering socially-conscious consumers with the 
information and tools they need to combat this crime worldwide. Enjoy 30 percent off all online orders from maliadesigns.com by typing in the code “campesino” at checkout. Good until Saturday, May 12, World Fair Trade Day.
Producer Partners from Sumatra visit April 28-30, 2012
Cafe Campesino and the Americus office of Cooperative Coffees welcome Ujang Hasnan and Iwan Rahmat to Georgia. The son of a coffee farmer, Ujang grew up in the Aceh region of the Indonesian island of Sumatra near Lake Tawar. Ujang learned the international coffee trade by helping to dry process coffee after he had studied business in the Sumatran capitol of Medan. In 2008, Ujang began working with the APKO and ASKOGO cooperatives to process and export their coffees. Iwan Rahmat also comes from a family of coffee farmers. The general manager of APKO, Iwan grew up in Aceh near Lake Tawar and also studied in Medan. He and his family remain members of APKO, which has 800 members in the Aceh Tengah and Bener Meriah regencies. Iwan also represents Sumatran coffee farmers in the Network of Asian Producers (NAP), an association of producers that share best practices and develop proposals to get a better position in Fair Trade Labelling organization governance. Iwan and Ujang will be in Americus Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29 and in Atlanta on Monday, April 30. Look for more information about events and opportunities to meet Iwan and Ujang in the coming days.
New Beginnings & Changes at Cafe Campesino
Pomeroy Family Going Away Party at Harris Family Farm, March 2012
Late last month, Tripp Pomeroy and his family gathered with a group of some of their near and dear Americus friends to say “hasta luego.” From its start, the Pomeroy Family has been committed to “living the adventure,” Tripp says, and a number of exciting new opportunities awaited the family in the Miami area. While Tripp remains CEO, general management for Cafe Campesino, Cafe Campesino at Sweet Auburn and Sweetwater Organic Coffee has been divided between a general management team that consists of Tina Adkins, Nancy Aparicio, Dave Campbell and Nema Etheridge. The team is supported by staff at all three locations, most notably coffee house managers Karen Montano (in Americus) and Lauren Knight (at Sweet Auburn). If going from a hierarchical management structure to a collaborative one weren’t revolutionary enough, Cafe Campesino is also in the midst of educating its key leadership staff in its financials- making all expenses, costs, income, profits and losses transparent to a group of seven (and eventually to all staff). Known as “Open Books Management,” this finanical training is at the end of its first quarter, and itself serves as an exciting new chapter for Cafe Campesino. Stay tuned for updates, or ask one of the participants what he or she thinks.
New Coop Coffees Chair: Tripp!
Cooperative Coffees Members (plus Tripp- beige shirt, leaning on rail) picutred during the 2011 Annual General Meeting held in Whitehorse, Yukon Territories- the home of fellow coop member, Bean North.
During Cooperative Coffees’ Aug. 18-21 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, roaster members elected a new chair of for the coop’s board of directors, and he is none other than [insert imagined drum roll] our own Tripp Pomeroy! As chair, Tripp will represent the 24 roaster members who make up Cooperative Coffees – the one-of-a-kind green coffee importing cooperative that allows Café Campesino to work directly – and fairly – with farmers.
This is an especially exciting time for Cooperative Coffees, as Janet Utecht was hired earlier this year as the organization’s new executive director and the cooperative embarked on a three-year strategic plan that it had developed over the past 12 months. Prior to becoming chair, Tripp served as vice-chair of the board of directors under the leadership of then-chair, Queen Bean Lee Wallace of Peace Coffee. Lee will remain on the board this year and will be joined by the following members: Helen Voogd of Bean North, who will be vice-chair; Mike Moon of Just Coffee, who is also vice-chair; Chris Treter of Higher Grounds, secretary; TJ Semanchin of Kickapoo Coffee, treasurer; Dan Bailey of Amavida Coffee; Glenn Lathrop of Desert Sun Coffee; Larry Larson of Larry’s Beans; Mike Mays of Heine Brothers’ Coffee and Terry Patano of DOMA Coffee Roasters.
Cooperative Coffees is the world’s only green coffee importing cooperative of roasters, bringing together 24 Fair Trade, organic coffee roasteries located in the United States and Canada. By the end of 2011, Cooperative Coffees will have purchased 3.5 million pounds of Fair Trade coffee from 22 farmer-owned cooperatives around the world. Café Campesino is a founding member of Cooperative Coffees, which was formed in 1999.
Our Favorite Filmmaker: Minh Nguyen
So, Minh Nguyen (pronounced “win”) breezed into our world this summer as Bill’s blueberry pickin’ manager (for Easterlin Farms), and then all of a sudden she began wowing us with her video-making talents. After two Easterlin Farm videos, Minh set her sights on Cafe Campesino and came up with the Good Coffee video that received town-wide acclaim and made internet sensations out of our local Americus stars. Since making her last (soon-to-be released) video of Cafe Campesino, Minh started her freshman year at Yale University (way up North). We caught up with Minh to learn more about life as a college student.
FG: Are you having fun?!?
MN: Yeah! It’s definitely a lot of fun. My favorite part is meeting all of the different people. They come from all over. Probably the person with the neatest background is this Irish guy who was born in Ireland but grew up in Uganda.
FG: Have you been busy the past few weeks?
MN: The first two weeks I spent adjusting and having fun, but now classes have picked up, and there is A LOT of reading and writing.
FG: What class do you hate?
MN: Probably Philosophy, because it’s such dense reading.
FG: What class do you love?
MN: Philosophy again. It’s a love-hate relationship. I love the class discussions, but I hate the reading. Also, I’m taking Korean, and that’s pretty interesting.
FG: Have you made any more films?
MN: Not yet! But there is a student-run production company on campus, and tomorrow I’m meeting the guy who is in charge of that. Hopefully, I will be the assistant director for one of his projects.
FG: What do you miss about Americus?
MN: I miss the people. I miss sweet tea (they don’t drink that up here!). I also, surprisingly, miss the weather. There are extremes up here, and it’s impossible to know how to dress- it’s cold in the morning, and it’s hot by noon.
FG: Have you picked a major?
MN: Not yet. I’m still undecided, but I’m in “Humanities Intensive,” which keeps me pretty busy.
FG: Thanks for talking Minh! We hope to see you when you get home. When do you plan to be back?
MN: Dec. 17 or 18th. The ticket is already purchased.
Coop Coffees in Chiapas with Maya Vinic
Espresso training during Cooperative Coffees' September 2011 trip to Chiapas, Mexico.
Cooperative Coffees Executive Director Janet Utecht joined Matt Early of Just Coffee, Chris Treter of Higher Grounds and Chuck Slaughter of Heine Brothers’ Coffee on a trip to Chiapas, Mexico, to work with members of the Maya Vinic coffee producing cooperative. The trip is a part of a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) program to bring technical skills to farmer cooperatives around the world and one of several that Cooperative Coffees will make this year to work with its farmer partners around the world.
During this trip, Cooperative Coffees worked with Maya Vinic members on developing a business plan and strategy for opening a coffee shop in San Cristobal – a project that has received funding from Japan - and also led training sessions in coffee roasting and espresso preparation. The group also looked at Higher Grounds’ Chiapas Water Project that aims to construct sustainable water systems in the area and made tentative plans for the Annual General Meeting of Coop Sol (part of Cooperative Coffees based in Montreal) that will be hosted by Maya Vinic in January. The January conference will attract members of coffee producing cooperatives from neighboring Latin American countries, as well as Cooperative Coffees roaster-members from the U.S and Canada.
Founded in 1999, Maya Vinic is a 500-member farmer cooperative that produces only Fair Trade and organic coffees. It operates with a respect for local language and culture and a reverence for Mother Earth and traditional forms of self government. Maya Vinic was born out of a larger pacifist movement known as “Las Abejas” that supported the Zapatista’s principles and goals but renounced its violence. “Las Abejas” became the target of paramilitary forces in 1997 when 45 members were killed while praying in a local church in what has become known as the Acteal Massacre. Today, Maya Vinic honors its community members lost in the tragedy with a tomb that bears a photograph of each of the fallen members. At the entrance of the Acteal community is also a Pillar of Shame, one of a series of statues of the same name designed by the Danish artist Jans Galschiot that depicts twisted human bodies in a triangular shaped statue. Other Galschiot-designed Pillars of Shame have been erected in Hong Kong to protest China’s 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square protesters and in Brasilia, Brazil, to remember the 19 landless peasants who were killed by military police in the northern state of Para in 1996.
Article: Roasting with Rusty
ROASTING WITH RUSTY
Welcome back to another episode of Roasting with Rusty. I’m only a few weeks removed from Cooperative Coffee’s AGM (annual general meeting) and, to say the least, it was fantastic! But before we get into that story, may I assure you that during my absence, your coffee was roasted and prepared, with the greatest of skill, by a couple of the greatest production folks a guy like me could have. The crew up front did a wonderful job, as well…answering your phone calls, fixing your drinks and just generally doing whatever they could to make you happy. I honestly don’t know how they made it a week without me. (note from the “wonderful people” Rusty speaks of: “We had a great week as well!”)
Getting back on track, the AGM was incredible! Twenty-three great roasteries and all of their amazing people coming together, with one amazing and unified mission, is a pretty special thing to witness. These are people who are giving up personal gain for the needs and benefits of others. I know this sounds like an old concept but it’s not one I’m used to seeing performed so genuinely and by so many together. It makes me very proud to be a part of Café Campesino, Cooperative Coffees and the real movement and meaning of fair trade. To go into the specific details would require more time and space than I have. However, you can be confident knowing that the coffee you drink, from Café Campesino, was not only roasted the right way, but grown, harvested, bought and sold the right way. That whole “crop to cup” thing is definitely not just talk.
From the roasters to the producers and the wonderful state of Wisconsin, the whole experience was a great one (getting to drink a bunch of delicious coffee wasn’t so bad either!). So, thank you all, for helping the cause. Your continued support has helped better the lives of people we’ll never know, in ways we’ll never know. And I raise my cup of coffee…Here’s to a better world!
Rusty
Article: Fair Trade – Leadership vs. Ownership
By Tripp Pomeroy
At various points over the past several years, we have talked about Fair Trade being at a cross-roads. In fact, Fair Trade seems to be passing through cross roads continuously, but that is to be expected given the scope of the problem the movement is seeking to address, along with the fact that the movement in the US is relatively young, and the sad reality that the main certifying agencies – FLO and Transfair USA – prefer to assert their ownership of Fair Trade rather than participate in the movement’s leadership. Without a doubt, Fair Trade is a work in progress and still has a long way to go to achieve its goal of transforming trade into a vehicle for sustainable, meaningful development. Multi-stakeholder leadership, collaboration, and not just consumer confidence, but also small-scale producer confidence (which at present is on the wane) in Fair Trade are critical if Fair Trade is to right itself. At present, Fair Trade is not an integrated, unified, cooperative movement of traders, small-scale producer groups, and certifying organizations. This reality presents a real challenge to the movement, and more importantly, the prospect for universally bona fide fair trade.
Article: Fun Facts!
COFFEE NOTES – YOU DO THE MATH
About a week ago, we saw a local chain grocery store advertising some coffee on sale. Maxwell House’s 34.5 oz can for $5. That’s more than 2 lbs of coffee for the amazingly low price of $5. Quite a bargain, right? How do they sell it so cheap, you might ask??? Well, let’s consider some numbers for a moment. While we don’t know how much Maxwell House paid for this coffee that they roasted, packaged, and sold to a reseller, we do know that 34.5 oz equals 2.16 lbs. And $5 for 2.16 lbs equals $2.31 per lb of roasted coffee. $2.31 for a pound of coffee. Wow, that’s cheap. And don’t forget that the $2.31 price tag is the retail, end-consumer price for said pound of coffee. Logic tells us that by the time it reaches the shelf at the grocery store and is available for purchase at the cheap price, Maxwell House has already taken their monetary cut. And the grocery store has calculated its regular mark up/profit margin. I mean, a business has to profit to survive, right? We all understand and expect that. Also, the folks that handled the coffee in between (trucking, storage, etc.) have had their hand in the “cost” of this pound of coffee. Hard to say what those numbers add up to but it sure does make us wonder where that leaves the farmer(s) who toiled to grow the beans that make up this “bargain” can of coffee? How does he/she figure into the $2.31 equation? You do the math on that one.