Coffee sales aid needy

The rich aroma of Juan Ana Coffee rising from my cup immediately connects me to the people of San Lucas Toliman in rural Guatemala.

The coffee is named for the parents of Rev. Greg Schaffer, a priest who, 40 years ago, introduced the coffee growers of San Lucas Toliman to the coffee drinkers in his hometown of New Ulm, Minnesota.

The growers began selling their coffee directly to the people of New Ulm. Today, more than 500 families of San Lucas Toliman are involved in growing, processing and distributing their coffee to people in the United States. For the Guatemalan community, the business has been a way out of the social and humanitarian crisis experienced by coffee-producing countries worldwide, where 70 percent of the growers are small family farmers, receiving the lowest wholesale coffee prices in 100 years.

This "direct trade" arrangement allows the families of San Lucas Toliman to receive as much as double the income from their coffee -þ even compared to fair trade coffee -- because all of the proceeds go directly to them. There are no middle marketers. Unpaid volunteers do all the distribution within the U.S.

The profits are invested in schools, medical clinics, clean water systems, reforestation projects and the support of a land acquisition program that has helped 3,000 families buy land of their own.

Juan Ana Coffee is shade grown on land that is not stripped clear to plant the coffee. As a result, the habitat of native species and the fertility of the land are preserved for future generations. (The story, and photographs, of this initiative are available at www.juananacoffee.com.)

Buying Juan Ana Coffee is a way to participate in a socially conscious venture -- and to enjoy a good cup of coffee at the same time!

(Participating parishes include St. Mary's, Crescent; St. Lucy's and St. Bernadette's, Altamont; St. Vincent de Paul, Albany; St. Madeleine Sophie, Guilderland; St. Henry's, Averill Park; St. Paul's, Schenectady; and St. James, Chatham. Questions about Juan Ana Coffee and how parish communities can become involved can be addressed to Barbara Coughlin or John Fallon, local volunteers, at 439-1667. Write to them at 149 Adams Place, Delmar 12054 or email [email protected].)

(3/25/04) [[In-content Ad]]