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Corporate Social Responsibility
News
10.27.2005 ET
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CSR News from:
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McDonald's to Sell Fair Trade Certified™ Coffee
Commitment is a Step in the Right Direction, says Oxfam
(CSRwire) Boston, MA - Oxfam America welcomes McDonald's announcement today
that it will be serving Fair Trade Certified™ coffee in 658 of its
restaurants in New England and Albany, NY. Starting Nov. 1, participating
locations will be switching 100 percent of their coffee products over to
Fair Trade Certified™ organic coffee from Newman's Own Organics,
roasted by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
"McDonald's commitment to fair trade is an important step," said Seth
Petchers, coffee program manager for Oxfam America. "This is a sign that
the fair trade market is growing in strength and numbers. Other retailers
and coffee companies should see this as a wake-up call and follow their
lead." He added, "We are excited about this regional launch, and we hope
to see it spread across the country."
The market for Fair Trade Certified™ coffee has grown by an average
of over 70% each year since 1999. Fair trade coffee is available from over
400 coffee companies at 20,000 retail locations across the country--a sign
that consumers are making their voices heard.
"Fair trade provides significant benefits to coffee farmers, including
enough income to invest in their harvest and in quality improvements,"
said Lorenzo Castillo, head of the Junta Nacional del Café, an
organization representing small coffee farmers in Peru. Fluctuations in
the price of coffee jeopardize small-scale coffee farmers' businesses.
Fair trade, by providing a stable price, helps to mitigate the impact of
the coffee crisis, which many farmers continue to suffer through. Castillo
continued, "It's great that McDonald's has recognized that to secure the
highest quality coffee they need to pay farmers a fair price."
For more information, please contact Helen DaSilva at 617-728-2409
(office) or 617-331-2984 (cell) or via email at hdasilva@oxfamamerica.org.
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Oxfam America is a Boston-based international development and relief
agency and an affiliate of Oxfam International. Working with local
partners, Oxfam delivers development programs and emergency relief and
campaigns for change in global practices and policies that keep people in
poverty.
The "coffee crisis" is an economic and humanitarian calamity triggered by
plunging coffee prices and a glut of low-quality coffee products that has
ravaged coffee-growing communities in developing countries since 1999.
After hitting a 30-year low in 2001, the price of coffee has continued to
fluctuate over the last several months. Despite this, small-scale farmers
are still unable to earn a decent income. As a result, millions of
families lack basic necessities such as health care, education--even, in
some cases, adequate food. Many coffee farmers have been forced to
abandon their land and migrate elsewhere in search of employment. To read
Oxfam America's latest report on the coffee crisis, visit: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/crisis_continues.
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