April 28, 2016

Join the Biggest Coffee Break on Earth

Next month will mark the first global World Fairtrade Challenge, where coffee lovers around the world are being urged to get together to drink a record amount of Fairtrade coffee and show their support for farmers hit by climate change.

From the 13th – 15th of May, the World Fairtrade Challenge will unite coffee lovers across the globe to raise their cup in support of small-scale coffee farmers. The goal is to achieve a record number of cups of Fairtrade coffee drunk within three days and to send a powerful message that small-scale coffee farmers have global support for their fight against climate change. Being passionate coffee drinkers, New Zealand has a chance at winning ‘most cups drunk per capita’.

Coffee is produced in more than 70 countries by 25 million farmers, is the world’s second-most traded commodity after oil, and a key source of revenue for many developing nations.

Climate change affects millions of farmers in developing countries who are among the hardest hit by extreme weather, droughts, floods and crop disease. Unpredictable weather patterns make it challenging for them to grow and harvest their crop, as coffee plants are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have said a one-degree change in temperature can mean a 30% drop in yields, and a three-degree change could result in coffee being wiped out completely. This is an alarming statistic given that 125 million livelihoods depend on the coffee industry worldwide.

“There is a chain on Earth that starts at the bottom where producers are. They are the ones who suffer the consequences of climate change, the ones who get the least help, and carry the entire burden. It’s not fair,” says Bayardo Betanco of PRODECOOP Fairtrade Coffee Cooperative in Nicaragua.

By drinking Fairtrade certified coffee you can support farmers to mitigate the effects of climate change. More than 800,000 coffee farmers are part of the Fairtrade system in 30 countries. The Fairtrade Premium supports farmers with funds for the local communities to come up with their own initiatives and enables access to technical knowledge, creating a greater awareness for farmers on the changing climate and how it affects their crops.

Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand CEO Molly Harriss Olson, says “We are challenging Kiwis to organise Fairtrade coffee breaks in their communities and be part of spreading the message that if we all choose Fairtrade coffee year round, we can support the 800,000 Fairtrade coffee farmers around the world to safeguard the future of our favourite drink.”

‘Together we can make a difference.’

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