Coffee Show Brings Fair Trade Producers and Buyers Together
20 April 2006
Oxfam partners from Central America, East Africa travel to Charlotte.
Coffee cooperatives from around the world sent their representatives to Charlotte, North Carolina earlier this month to attend the Specialty Coffee Association of America conference, the biggest annual gathering of specialty coffee industry insiders in North America.
Oxfam America's Coffee Team was there, supporting partners, and conducting meetings with coffee roasters, farmer networks, and certification bodies.
Each year, the SCAA trade show represents a huge opportunity for farmer cooperatives to network with current and future buyers. For many, it's the only space to directly with companies that roast and sell their coffee.
"The nature of our work, our business, makes communication in person very important. Without this, we can not 'get' the market," said Ashenafi Argaw, head of the export division at Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union in Ethiopia.
International business relationships make for a lot of electronic and fax communications. That kind of interaction isn't personal enough to negotiate the complex ups and downs of the coffee industry, said Asnake Bekele, general manager, at the Sidama union.
"You need personal contact apart from e-mails and faxes. It helps to build trust, especially among buyers," Bekele said.
Ed Canty, fair trade and organic buyer for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, agreed.
"For me, to meet face to face with producers -- it's huge," Canty said. "I always say that quality is defined by the expectation of a relationship. It's a lot easier to get that across in person."
Plus, trade shows give coffee producers the chance to share their plans and lobby for more support.
"This is also an opportunity for cooperatives to have discussions regarding quality, technical issues, and working capital," said Antonio Cordón, business plan and internal control consultant for CRECER, an organization which gives small business advice to coffee cooperatives.
Each year, Oxfam helps pay for the partners travel to the SCAA conference. It's a rare weekend when all of Oxfam's coffee partners can share their experiences in one city, let alone one in the United States.
"Small-scale farmers produce some of the world's best coffees and have earned a seat at the table during the specialty coffee industry’s premier event," said Seth Petchers, coffee campaign manager at Oxfam America.
