OAKLAND, CA and COLLEGE STATION, TX (July, 27 2011)  –  Fair Trade USA, the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States, and the Global Coffee Quality Research Initiative (GCQRI), a collaborative research program of the specialty coffee industry, today announce a strategic partnership to provide industry-leading research to help all members of the Fair Trade coffee supply chain face the challenges of climate change.
 
Throughout its first five-year plan, Fair Trade USA will support the efforts of GCQRI to conduct international research, and to produce farmer, industry and consumer-facing information and analyses on the state and future of specialty coffee. The effort will not only create informed consumers, but also generate a new wave of knowledge and innovation to alleviate constraints facing those most vulnerable to climate change—small farmers around the world. The resulting technologies and training efforts will lead to sustainable increases in productivity and quality, securing both the livelihoods of farmers as well as global coffee supply chains.
 
“Our new partnership with GCQRI has tremendous potential to benefit Fair Trade stakeholders up and down the entire coffee supply chain,” said Jennifer Gallegos, Director of Business Development for coffee at Fair Trade USA. “We understand that quality and yield improvements are a key focus for all of our partners within the system. By supporting this initiative we’re encouraging sustainable development now and in the years to come.”
 
“By teaming up with Fair Trade USA we are strengthening our ability to deliver research results directly to the producer that will increase their incomes and allow greater freedom of choice in the future,” said Dr. Tim Schilling, the GCQRI Executive Director. “The potential to radically transform the industry to the benefit of the producer as well as the rest of value chain is tremendous. Working collaboratively and cooperatively with all supply chain stakeholders is the elixir to unlock this potential, and science is the main ingredient.”
 
Using an international team of researchers and consultants, the GCQRI will carry out short, medium and long term research plans relating to both quantity (supply) and quality. Much of what this research aims to do is help farmers gain a better understanding of their own coffee quality as well as how to produce higher yields without compromising the integrity of the product. Along with initiatives in key areas such as coffee rust resistance and CBD tolerance, one particularly interesting project is to determine exactly what taste points within a coffee relate to quality and enjoyment in different global markets.  
 
“One of our goals is to work with the coffee industry to accelerate taste differentiation in coffee to levels similar to the wine industry, where both producers and consumers can develop extremely sophisticated tasting palates,” says Bianca Manago of GCQRI. “This is quite the task, because although 200 different aromas have been identified in wine, coffee boasts over 800 different aromatic compounds and taste points. By empowering farmers with the knowledge of precision tasting they are not only able to produce and detect a higher quality product, they can also negotiate a far higher price within specialty markets.” “Most importantly, this is the kind of research that will drive consumer demand for highly desirable, complex taste profiles that people will be willing to pay higher prices for,” added Schilling.
 
Fair Trade is a global movement to alleviate poverty in farming communities in the developing world in ways that are socially and environmentally sustainable. Fair Trade certification helps businesses and consumers make every purchase matter because the Fair Trade Certified label means that the high-quality products they purchase improve lives and protect the environment. Through strategic partnerships with organizations such as GCQRI, Fair Trade USA works to link industry and NGO partners around the world to strengthen farming communities through a variety of capacity building programs and resources.
 
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Fair Trade USA (previously TransFair USA), a nonprofit organization, is the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. Fair Trade USA audits and certifies transactions between U.S. companies and their international suppliers to guarantee that the farmers and workers producing Fair Trade Certified goods were paid fair prices and wages, work in safe conditions, protect the environment, and receive community development funds to empower and uplift their communities. Fair Trade USA educates consumers, brings new manufacturers and retailers into the Fair Trade system, and provides farming communities with tools, training and resources to thrive as international businesspeople. Visit www.FairTradeUSA.org for more information.
 
The Global Coffee Quality Research Initiative (GCQRI) is a nonprofit collaborative research program of the specialty coffee industry and the Norman Borlaug Institute of International Agriculture of Texas AgriLife. The overall Goal of GCQRI is to grow, improve and protect supplies of quality coffee to fuel the growth of the dynamic coffee industry that directly affects the livelihoods of over 100 million people. GCQRI will serve as the impetus and mechanism in which the coordination between the coffee industry, origin country research organizations, and international research organizations will occur. Visit http://gcqri.org/ for more information.

a concrete jungle

PS 15: Patrick F. Daly School. With the help of material from the Rainforest Alliance’s Learning Site, students in Brooklyn, New York are discovering the role we all play in protecting the world’s natural resources while exploring the wonders of the rainforest right from their classrooms.

Watch the video Video: PS 15: Patrick F. Daly School

beyond the classroom

Turning Lessons into Real-World Actions. What happens after our education team concludes teacher-training workshops in communities throughout the United States and Guatemala? Words turn into actions.

Read the full story Turning Lessons into Real-World Actions. River through a Forest Take it outside
Looking for ways to keep your kids engaged this summer while they are enjoying the warm weather? We’ve put together a list of fun activities that will get them outside, interacting with their environment and excited about education!

picture sustainability
Enter your best sustainability snapshots today for a chance to win a FUJIFILM FinePix digital camera and a six-day, five-night eco-tour for two to Guatemala!
Wallpaper of the Month!

A Greener Screen. Liven up your desktop with our “Wallpaper of the Month.” In July, we’re highlighting Guatemala — where our sustainable agriculture, forestry, education, climate and tourism programs are all at work.

Download the wallpaper Morning fog over Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan. Photo by Leif Pedersen

The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods
by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior.

For many of our business partners here in the U.S. Fair Trade is so much more than a socially responsible chocolate bar or an environmentally friendly cup of joe; for many, Fair Trade is a way of life. This bodes true for Tom Neuhaus and Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates, a San Luis Obispo based company dediated to the Fair Trade mission and building strong, direct ties to the cocoa farming communities from which they source.

To learn more about this amazing company please enjoy the following Q&A with Tom, founder and president of Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates.
Tell us a little bit about Sweet Earth Chocolates? How did this company come to be?

I established Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates, Inc. in September, 2004 with my sister Joanne Currie. Originally, we started it to make chocolate assortments to sell at local churches to raise money for West African Fair Trade cooperatives–especially Kuapa Kokoo and Kavokiva. But in April, 2005, Joanne constructed a building to house her restaurant/bakery, called Splash Cafe Artisan Bakery, and Sweet Earth products have been manufactured upstairs ever since. In July, 2009, we opened our first retail store, located 4 doors down from Splash. In May, 2011, we opened our second retail store, located in downtown San Luis Obispo.
Why is Fair Trade such an important component of your business?

While I have always wanted to establish direct links with villages and to establish direct trade, the barriers to accomplish this are quite formidable. To export from a country, you need to either rent an entire container or you need to know how to rent part of a container. Also, you need to know how to purchase high quality product.

Rather than re-inventing the wheel, we decided to put our trust in an established system- Fair Trade. In the Fair Trade system, you know that a well-researched organization such as Fairtrade International and its licensing initiatives (such as Fair Trade USA), abide by certain rules. You know, for example, that no forced child labor and none of the Worst Forms of Child Labor were involved in the production of the beans. In my view, Fair Trade is system with credibility; it’s a label people truly can trust. By putting the Fair Trade Certified logo on my products I know that the farmer gets a better deal and the consumer gets a delicious product that makes a difference.
From which countries do you source your cocoa? Do you have a favorite location?

Our cocoa comes from Peru, Ecuador, and Dominican Republic, but some day I would also like to include parts of West Africa. The Peruvian and Ecuadorian beans are mostly Criollo and have wonderful chocolaty/fruity notes associated with them. The Conacado Cooperative of Dominican Republic produces a very high quality cocoa powder, and I am very happy to buy from them. Last year my wife and I visited Conacado, and we were very warmly received.
Sweet Earth Chocolates is not your only endeavor; please tell us a bit about your Cal Poly chocolate class and your role in Project Hope and Fairness.

I established Cal Poly Chocolates in 2000. This is one of the very few chocolate production courses taught in an American university. Each year I employ four university students and teach a class of ten. The chocolate products we make in class are used all around campus. The university president serves our chocolates at most of the meals he caters; he is especially fond of our panned macadamias. In the class, students learn about the chemistry of chocolate, about Fair Trade and organic certifications, about chocolate’s history and nutritional value. They also learn to work with chocolate in a culinary environment as well as in full-scale production.

In addition to the course I also established a Fair Trade club about 6 years ago together with my graduate student, Melissa Schilling. Melissa has since established her own NGO, HOPE Art, which teaches children to paint in Port au Prince, Haiti. Though Melissa has moved on, the Cal Poly Fair Trade Club is still thriving. Two of its members are joining me on a trip to visit five villages in Ghana this summer, where we will be delivering boots, machetes, flashlights, chocolate, and t-shirts to various communities after spending most of July and August volunteering in an orphanage in Accra.

Aside from Sweet Earth and my work at Cal Poly, I started Project Hope and Fairness with my friend Ernie Roide in 2006. Since its start we have donated almost a dozen scales and dryness meters, we have dug two wells, built a roof to protect a schoolhouse, built three toilets, and brought boots, machetes and solar powered flashlights to over a dozen villages in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, and for the first time this year, Cameroon.

What role do you think our readers and other shoppers can play in the development of a more just system of trade?

There are many ways for people to affect change in farming communities around the world: first-by buying Fair Trade Certified goods; second-by reading and studying about Third World farmers and the issues they face, as well as joining Fair Trade clubs in their communities; and finally-by actually visiting the farmers themselves. I am currently talking to people in Cameroon, Dominican Republic, and Ghana about building cocoa study centers where university students from all over can study issues relating to the sustainability of tropical farmers, including the development of cottage industries. My ultimate goal is to build chocolate production facilities in villages and to help people start businesses selling chocolates made from their own beans. If someone can achieve this goal, chocolate will effectively have been de-colonialized. We Americans became independent in approximately 1776. It is now time for hard working farmers around the world to be granted the respect that they deserve.

Alleviating Poverty

Around the world, 1.4 billion people — many of whom depend on agriculture for their survival — live on less than $1.25 a day. Left with few options, they resort to clearing land for subsistence agriculture, cutting down trees for firewood and selling illegal timber on the black market, often at prices far below the wood’s real value. The small income they derive from these destructive activities is rarely enough to lift them out of poverty and only serves to perpetuate the problem.
What We’re Doing

At the Rainforest Alliance, we believe that you cannot tell an impoverished family or community to put down the axe without providing an alternative. Through certification, we work with farmers and forest managers to provide them with the tools and know-how to manage their natural resources; those that meet rigorous environmental, social and economic standards can use the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal to differentiate their products, reach new markets, negotiate better prices, improve their access to credit and lift themselves and their communities out of poverty. With the extra money they earn, they can invest in a more economically secure future.

In the tourism field, we work with indigenous groups and local communities to help them establish and sustainably operate lodges and other tourism businesses, which can provide them with an economically viable alternative to deforestation. Through training and verification, we encourage tourism entrepreneurs to hire local employees and source their goods and services from local businesses, creating an economic ripple effect within communities and surrounding areas.
Our Impact

On Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms employees receive decent wages, respectable housing and healthcare, and their children have access to education.
One of the main goals of sustainable tourism is to provide jobs for people living in and around travel destinations. Among the employees of tourism businesses verified by the Rainforest Alliance during 2007 and 2008, 90 percent of full-time and seasonal staff were local people.
While a salary of $2 a day may sound low to most westerners, in developing countries, it is a benchmark for a wage that is above the poverty line. At businesses certified or verified by the Rainforest Alliance, nearly all employees earn at least $2 per day. Here’s the breakdown by industry:
98.9 percent of full-time employees on Rainforest Alliance Certified farms earn at least $2 per day.
100 percent of full-time employees on FSC/Rainforest Alliance Certified forestry operations earn at leastf $2 per day.
100 percent of tourism employees in four of the countries where our program is active earn a at least $2 per day.
On Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, 28,534 children received some form of educational assistance, including scholarship awards, donated supplies and access to classes.
On Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, production generally increases, quality and efficiency improves and fewer worker complaints are received. According to a 2008 study, a group of farmers in El Salvador working toward Rainforest Alliance certification saw their productivity rise by an average of 76 percent over the previous year.

The coffee drinker kick-starts their day with a cup of coffee in the morning. It’s a great way to wake up and stimulates the mind making it easier to achieve simple tasks such as getting the kids dressed and not bumping into the neighbours car when reversing out of the driveway. Coffee for breakfast, or as part of breakfast, soon becomes a regular occurrence during the working week, and probably on the weekend. Once a day doesn’t sound like a lot, but soon coffee can start to show up as an aid to help get through the day. The 7.30am beverage appears at 11am to make the next few hours until lunch fly by. Then after lunch? Well the afternoon can drag and feel like a long time until leaving the office is possible, so why not get a coffee and settle back down to work? Then sometimes there’s a lull around 3-4.30 and the desire to make a final push, meet a deadline and leave with a sense of achievement.

Does this sound familiar? What about when you hear people say “I don’t wake up properly until I’ve had a cup of coffee”. Can you relate to that? It’s not too far removed from the truth about the effects of coffee, so it’s easy to connect the dots.

Coffee is also considered by many to be a relaxant. “Wanna meet for coffee?” is the question before the diary comes out and dates, meetings, re-acquaintances and get-togethers are planned. Enjoying a latte and some food is a nice thing to share with others. If the conversation is awkward then the food and drink can become the default talking point. The caffeine seems to magically work its way through the conversation, encouraging expression and debate, giving the confidence to question or exclaim and empathise with others. You feel good because you’re bonding with people, and it’s easy to become a fan of coffee for helping out.

Which is okay, isn’t it? But can coffee actually become addictive?

The ‘active ingredient’ (as medical writers put it) in Coffee is caffeine. You can become ‘dependent’ on caffeine and develop something called ‘caffeinism’. Caffeinism is the combination of caffeine dependency with physical and mental difficulties from anxiety to something called ‘psychomotor agitation’.

Caffeine can lead to difficulties with medical conditions related to the increased production of stomach acid. It’s possible to become intoxicated by caffeine, but it’s not going to kill you unless you have 80 to 100 cups of coffee in a limited time frame, and this depends on other factors.

Enjoying regular cups of coffee is okay for the health of most people. It’s not likely to kill you, and it is likely to make your day better. If you feel you’re starting to depend on anything in life then it’s a good idea to take a break and get some perspective.

The information about caffeinism comes from Wikipedia.

—

Robert is a writer and coffee enthusiastic coffee drinker who works for Espresso Deco, a company selling espresso cups and related items online.

Photo by nettsu.

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Good for our Kids

Do you love coffee? Imagine the thrill of brewing your own perfect coffee right in the comfort of your own home. Well its possible – by following these simple tips when searching for your coffee machine. I will help you choose not only the best machine for your needs but also one you will be happy with for many years to come.

1. What type of Coffee do you like to drink?

The first step is to identify your favourite coffee – shouldn’t be too hard? Why? Because you need your new coffee machine to make this type of coffee well enough so you will enjoy it each and every day. Try to see the coffee machine actually working – ask for a demo. The end result of making a coffee is a rich golden crema – the basis of all coffee recipes – you should see this. It looks like rich dripping honey as the coffee extracts from the group head.

2. Machine Pressure

You need adequate pressure to extract the coffee from the beans you would like to use. This helps produce the rich golden cream you so desperately need. Quality machines have at least 15 bars of pressure – don’t even look at any machine with less than this as you won’t be happy with the quality of the final product. However, you must ask if the machine can extract at a constant 9 bars of pressure minimum. Your machine should be able to to extract enough flavour for true espresso. This is a big selling point with machines and will be easy to find in the list of benefits for each type.

3. Do I need an Automatic or Manual Machine?

This ultimately comes down to how much control over the coffee making process you require. Some manual machines at the cheaper end are excellent, however you will have more “work” to do when brewing. Fully automatic machines cost much more but do everything for you and still make a fantastic coffee – at a price. Perhaps a semi-automatic machine is the way to go as you can control such elements as “milk frothing” and the “coffee grind” while still have the machine control extraction time and temperature. Price will have a lot of influence on your decision as there is a wide range of prices between Fully manual to Fully automatic – work out how much you want to spend and check out what is available in that price range and go from there.

4. Hot Water is critical.

When making several coffees, cheaper machines will give up – water needs to be heated and while using the steam wand and group head you deplete the water boiler and then have to refill – can be painful (not literally) and annoying. Dual boilers are fantastic but can be expensive or look for a machine with “thermoblock” technology which reheats the water quickly and more efficiently.

5. The Best Grind.

You can buy pre ground coffee beans which are vacuum sealed – ok but not great – air makes the coffee go stale fairly quickly. Ideally you should buy a grinder – cost between $100 to $300. Some coffee machines have built in grinders which are great – however make sure you can adjust the grind therefore affecting or perfecting your extraction times and crema. The coffee grind is an extremely important step and only buy a coffee machine with a built in grinder if you know you can control this element of your coffee making.

6. Cleaning and Maintenance.

Coffee Machines need to be cleaned and maintained. Some machines offer automatic cleaning and descaling which makes life easy. Group heads and frothing arms can become clogged with coffee grounds and old milk thus affecting rubber seals and wand pressure. Consider purchasing coffee cleaning powder or your machines suggested cleaner at time of purchase to keep your machine in tip top condition.

Considering the number of home coffee machine brands that are available on the market the suggestions and tips provided in this article with help you start your search for the ideal machine for your home or office.

Take a look at the best coffee machine and decide whether you want an automatic coffee machine

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signs with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Rahal Letterman Lanigan today announced that Pippa Mann will join the team for three IZOD IndyCar events later this year.

The Firestone Indy Lights race winner and 2011 Indianapolis 500 rookie will drive the RLL #30 Dallara/Honda/Firestone at the Loudon, Kentucky and Las Vegas races. The 27 year-old Briton will complete two tests with the team as part of the program, the first of which will take place at Loudon’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway on 5th July.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to get back into an IndyCar this year, with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing,” said Mann. “The team has a great history in IndyCar, and a reputation that precedes them for consistently fielding fast cars.

“After I completed my Indy 500 program, I didn’t know what lay ahead for me, and I’m delighted not to have had too much time off before getting back in an IndyCar. I’m especially happy to have the opportunity to return to Kentucky Speedway – where I won in Firestone Indy Lights last year. Loudon and Las Vegas will both be new tracks for me, so that’s really exciting, and I’m looking forward to the test in New Hampshire in just three weeks time!”

Team co-owner Bobby Rahal added: “Pippa showed her skills in Indy Lights last year, but we were also impressed with the way she handled herself at Indianapolis this season. She showed patience during the month and kept finding speed in the car, and her racing resume has shown that she will continue to get better every time she puts in a lap. We are looking forward to seeing her progress as the year goes on.”

Last month, Mann became the first British female to qualify and compete in the Indy 500, where she battled from 31st on the grid to finish in a solid 20th place. “I would like to thank Conquest Racing and Eric Bachelart for giving me my first opportunity to drive an IndyCar, and for making it possible for me to run at the Indy 500 this year. One opportunity often leads to another, and I will always credit and be grateful to Eric for being the person who had enough faith in my abilities to give me that very first run. I had an amazing month in Indianapolis and owe such a huge part of that to Eric and the team.”

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Woman with coffee cup.jpg
Is coffee good for your health? (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)
A true coffeeholic wouldn’t know how to start a day without the usual strong cup of black. Often blamed as an unhealthy addiction, of late, research has proved that coffee does indeed have some health benefits.

Amongst these are coffee’s positive effects for people suffering from type 2 diabetes and also heart diseases and heart problems – but how true is this? Coffee is often credited with possible side effects and comes tagged along with a few cautions too. We unearth some facts and find out if coffee is good for your health or not.

First, the good news: Caffeine aids stimulation of the production of adrenaline and cortisone. Essentialy, it doubles up your body’s fight-or-flight reaction. Unholy as it may sound, decaf (coffee from which caffeine has been separated) is said to contain double the health benefits of coffee such as decreasing cardiovascular diseases, cancer and type 2 diabetes risks.

Another great coffee benefit is that it doesn’t add to your calorie intake till the time you don’t add extra servings of sugar in it, or cream. 5 ounce of coffee contains just 6 calories and a teaspoon of sugar is likely to add 23 to 27 calories. So, if you’re piling on the pounds, don’t blame the coffee, blame the sugar you take with it. Another coffee plus point is its positive effect on people with low blood pressure as it raises blood pressure levels instantly.

Now for some bad news: It is seen that drinking coffee in excess can lead to a spike in antioxidants in the body. Excessive coffee intake can also lead to heartburn and worsen existing digestive problems. And this applies to both – regular and decaf. In some extreme cases, unfit drinkers can experience lose bowel movements with excessive coffee intake.

Excessive consumption of coffee can lead to a condition called ‘coffee jitters’. This is a condition where one is compulsively drinking large amounts of caffeine. In some extreme cases, it can also lead to withdrawal symptoms leading to much anxiety and changes in sleep patterns. In the end it comes back to moderate consumption and portion control. Lastly, caffeine is recognised as a mild diuretic and if you’re accustomed to 5-6 cup of coffee a day, chances are you’re making frequent visits to the washrooms. In the long run, the acidity in coffee can lead to mild heartburn. We say – drink coffee, but keep it under control.
Read more Personal Health, Diet & Fitness stories on www.healthmeup.com