And the Challenge goes on....

I've been a bad blogger. 12 days without a post is like sacralidge...but I assure you, I've been drinking strictly Fair Trade coffees. The 2011 Fair Trade Manitoba One Month Challenge has drawn to a close...I've made it for another year! Time for a little reflection.

As I said in the begininng, participating in the Challenge wouldn't be hard for me. I've been going fair trade (at least in my coffee purchases) for a couple of year now. My work place, the progressive place that it is, has too. For me, taking the Challenge every year is more about taking some time to be mindful of the intentions of the fair trade movement. It's an opportunity to think about the power of our daily choices.

You know, we get so wrapped up in our own lives, the daily struggles, the stresses, the noise, that sometimes we just don't have the energy to think about the rest of the world....much less the way we think the world ought to be. But in those quiet moments or when you're inescapably confronted with the trials and tribulations of other people, we sometime realize how lucky we are. The people who live in the countries who grow and provide our coffee are there while we are here by some cosmic twist of fate. I didn't pick my parents, and the person who grew the coffee that I'm drinking right now didn't either. Yet, those "decisions" dramatically impact the quality of life that each of us experience.

If spending a few extra dollars on the pound of coffee I buy every couple of weeks helps to improve that fellow human being's quality of life while taking nothing...seriously NOTHING from my quality of life, then why wouldn't I make that choice.

Yes this is a small thing, however time and time again it is proven that it is the small things, the little choices we make over time that define our futures. Just look at the power of compound interest. If, when you were born, you put $5 dollars away a week and invested it and you earned about 8% per year on your investments. How much do you thing you'd have by the time you retire at 65? Well your investments would have cost you only $16,900 thoughout your life....but how much do you think you'd have? $50,000? $100,000? Try over $577,000. Now don't you wish your parents would have known that when you were born?

This compounding effect work for social investments as well. That extra income the coffee producer makes (that extra few bucks I pay per pound) gets turned into tuition payments for their children. Who then get a good education and can get better paying jobs, which means that they have more to spend in their communities, which streghtens the local economy, which ensures that more children can get a good education, which...well you get it. On and on that little investment gets compounded.

Ponder the power of small things as you drink your next cup of coffee.

See ya next year.

Fair Trade Fundraising!

I've had a few co-workers over the past couple weeks tell me that they've taken the time to read my blog. Some of them have shared with me stories related to this post or that. One co-worker, triggered by my disclosure of my Icelandic heritage, emailed me about a fundraiser the Icelandic Heritage River Sites organization is currently holding. To raise funds for their work, volunteers are selling pounds of Green Bean Coffee....a very appropriate scheme given the Icelander's love of the java. Green Bean has even developed special branding for this, Icelandic River Roast...and it now comes in 4 blends check it out! Yet another example of how Green Bean Coffee Imports are making a difference.!

Green Beaning it this morning.

As a thank you for participating in their social marketing experiment during this year's One Month Challenge, Fair Trade Manitoba, provided each of their bloggers with a treat basket with various Fair Trade products to try. This morning I used two and they both relate to my favorite coffee band - Green Bean Coffee Imports. Green Bean is owned and operated just north of the great City of Selkirk. They import Fair Trade coffee, and roast it right here in Manitoba. The owner Derryl Reid is an amazing guy, and has been a strong supporter of Fair Trade Manitoba and the One month Challenge.

Green Bean provided each blogger with a neat little travel mug, and a sample size of one of their blends. This morning I cracked open the package and enjoyed the delectable coffee on my ride to work. I couldn't help but snicker at all those suckers sitting in the Tim Horton's drive thru line. Hey people, Don't you value your time? Much less the $1.16 a litre gas you waste. Oh yeah and the coffee tastes like...well decidedly not as good as my freshly roasted, fairly traded, local-job-creating cup of Green Bean Coffee. (I just read this over...it comes across a bit pious doesn't it. Well to show that I'm not without faults I'll admit that the jeans I'm wearing were likely made in China or somewhere with even lower labour standards...and I drove today alone today instead of car pooling....so there.)

Enjoying Fair Trade products at Work

Wow is it cold out there today. My car, bless it's little engine, was pretty unhappy with me this morning.

Me: Good morning car, let's get me to work!

Car: Whaaaaaaaaat? In this weather? Come on man, can't you just call in sick or something?

Me: No car - we've been through this before. If I don't go in, I fall behind. Besides, you're a pretty young thing, you'll only be cold for a few minutes but once we get going - you'll be fine. You've been plugged in for 5 hours now after all.

Car: Dude, it's like minus 50 out here. Can't you just go to work in April?

Me: Stop exaggerating, and don't call me dude.

Car: Whatever.

Me: Let's go. (Turn key)

Car: Ah........Ah.......Ah......Ah......err.....err.....err........ah......ahhhhhhokay. But i'm not happy with you.

Me: I understand.



Lots of tea's to choose from!

Despite my car's complaining I made it to work. First task? Make some Fair Trade Coffee for the office...which at the time I usually arrive is just me....but man, am I appreciative of the effort! At work, as I've noted before, all of our Coffee is Fair Trade (including the decaf), and most of our Teas are as well. The ones that aren't are grown and produced in North America (and therefore are governed by our labour and environmental laws)

Our office coffee provider is Quality Vending here in Winnipeg. A couple of years ago, when our company first began promoting the Fair Trade Manitoba One Month Challenge, I was responsible for working with our Quality Vending representative to source Fair Trade coffee and teas. They were great to work with, and were able to meet our needs. Now - I start every work day of the year with a steaming cup of Fair Trade Coffee. The perfect cure to a Manitoba winter morning.

Whining about Fair Trade....

Ah....after a long day at work, and then two meetings this evening, I feel I completely deserve to enjoy a nice glass of wine. Not just any wine however, certified Fair Trade wine from http://www.doubleupfairtrade.com/. Tonight, as I type this note, I'm sipping some tasty 2009 Los Cowboys Malbec an Argentinan red wine. I'll be honest, I'm more of a beer guy myself - but I'm really enjoying this.

The Manitoba Liquor Marts stores have been carrying Fair Trade wines for a few years now - here is a list of Fair Trade wines they carry I found on-line. Stop by your local shop, buy a bottle and enjoy responsibility!
 

More Fair Trade Activisim....

Last night my wife Erin had a few girl friends over to watch the Oscars. I, out of a sense of self-preservation, did the only thing I could do - I got the heck out of the house for a few hours. I grabbed my laptop and headed to my parent's place for dinner and for a visit.

After dinner my dad, the good Icelander that he is, offered me a cup of coffee, which I was about to accept when it occurred to me to ask whether it was Fair Trade coffee or not. Here's how that conversation went:

Me: Is it Fair Trade Coffee?
Dad: No - I've got Edwards and Nabob.
Me: What do you mean you have no Fair Trade coffee (mock indignation in my voice)
Dad: No fair trade coffee son.
Me: I'm talking the Fair Trade One Month Challenge...I can't drink any of that swill. Only Fair Trade
Dad: Well I guess you're S.O.L. now aren't you? (he didn't use the acronym)
Me: I suppose so. You know dad, you've worked really hard all of your life, scrimped and saved and now you've retired. I think you deserve to splurge a little bit on yourself and get the good stuff. You love coffee - why don't spend the extra couple of bucks a pound and buy high-quality Fair Trade coffee?
Dad: What, are you making commission?
Me: No - but that's the point. Cut out the middle men, get more of the price into the hands of the producers. Come on dad, it would only cost you and extra Nicol a cup.

Okay, so I didn't say the last sentence....but it was added for dramatic purposes upon suggested by my friend Zack...he's so Punny.

I'm going to make my dad watch "Black Gold" - a documentary on Fair Trade and the coffee industry. I've figured out my goal for this challenge. With only a couple of weeks left...I'm going to convert my dad the coffee addict into my dad a Fair Trade coffee addict.

Fair Trade at Starbucks?

Last year during Fair Trade Manitoba's One Month Challenge, I decided to do my little bit of activism and visited the Starbuck's location on the corner of Broadway and Donald to ask for a cup of fair trade coffee. Here is a recount of that event:

SB Employee: Hi there, what can I get for you today?
Me: Hi, do you guys have fair trade coffee? (I know they do - but I'm playing dumb)
SB Employee: Actually all of our coffee is fairly traded.
Me: (Eye roll) - Well that's a matter of opinion. I'm actually looking for certified Fair Trade coffee, you see I'm participating in the Fair Trade Manitoba One Month Challenge and I can only drink certified Fair Trade coffee
SB Employee: (Eye roll) - Our Cafe Estima is certified Fair Trade, however we don't have any of that made.
Me: Oh...well then no, I guess you can't get me anything today. (Exit Duane)

Needless to say, I wasn't impressed with her little corporate ruse - "all of our coffee is fairly traded". I was actually pretty annoyed. It's one thing for them to have their own watered down version of more ethically sourced coffee....but don't try to use a play on words with the intent on deceiving your customer.

Tonight, I found myself at Chapters and decided that I'd re-attempt my activism experiment.

SB Employee: Hi there - how can I help you today?
Me: Do you have any Fair Trade coffees?
SB Employee: We have Cafe Estima but we don't have any made.
Me: Oh, that's too bad. I'm participating in the Fair Trade Manitoba One Month Challenge and I can only drink certified Fair Trade coffees.
SB Employee: Well, if you would like we could French press you a cup?
Me: That would be great - yes I'd like that.

Nicely played Starbucks. Just for that....here's a free plug for your tasty, tasty Cafe Estima! If you like bold coffee...I highly recommend a French pressed Cafe Estima.

mmmmm Chocolate!

I've been avoiding chocolate for the past week....but I just couldn't do it any longer. Luckily the little store in our building had Dairy Milk bars....the only "mainstream" chocolate bar that uses Fair Trade chocolate. Check out Cadbury's Fair Trade webpage

Nothing like the smell of justice in the morning!

There are few things in life that I enjoy more than then enjoying my morning coffee as I prepare myself for the day. Coffee has been a part of my morning routine for a very long time...probably long that it should have been. When I lived with my parents, my dad would get up early for work and would make a pot of coffee, drinking one cup at home and taking a second one for the ride to work. The rest would go into the thermos, and when I'd get up there would be fresh coffee for me to enjoy before school.

Today I'm enjoying a cup of dark roast from one of my favorite brands Kicking Horse. You can find their coffee in many large chain grocery stores. They've got a neat website - visit it by clicking on the link embedded in their name above. Their product is Fair Trade, and they make donations to the Nature Conservancy of Canada a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting  natural lands and preserving ecosystems.

There is nothing like the smell of social and environmental justice in the morning!

Well - time to get a move on, the day is a wastin'!

Fair Trade and the Keurig single cup coffee maker

Almost three years ago my friend Chris bought me and my wife a Keurig single cup coffee maker.

 I was immediately opposed to the thing because I think they are pretty wasteful. Each cup of coffee is made with a single cartridge (branded a "K-cup") made of plastic and full of coffee grounds and a little paper filter and covered with a foil lid. Each single cup of coffee requires a new K-cup. Once you're done with the old one - you simply throw it in the trash....

Now because it was a gift...I felt I had to accept it - and I'll admit that I used it a few times. The real problem is that it makes a really good cup of coffee. Even worse I found out that you could even get Fair Trade K-cups.

However my environmental concerns outweighed the convenience and I stopped using the thing. Then one day my wife and I noticed a reuseable cartridge in a store. Utilizing a wire filter basket in a self-contained casing - you can fill the reuseable cartridge with your favourite brand of coffee. We bought the unit and used it right away....however try as I might - I could never get the coffee to taste right. It was always too watered down. So after some investigation, I noticed that there was a large gab between the filter and the bottom of casing...and I noticed that when I opened the unit after using it there was always at least one spot where the pressurized water cleared a tunnel through the grounds to the wire mesh. Once this happened, it was clear to me that the water would simply follow this path (path of least resistance) and would flow straight out...having barely touched the grounds. So what I did was cut open a used k-cup and removed the top section of the cup leaving only the bottom 4/5ths. I fit the remainder of the cup into the casing of the reusable unit to reduce the gap between the bottom of the wire basket and the casing by about 60%. By doing this I ensured that the water would backup in the casing and would amerce the basket in water ensuring enough contact time with the grounds. The idea worked, and ever since I have had excellent cups of coffee from this machine...and I haven't had to use the wasteful K-cups.

Introduction

My name is Duane Nicol and I am a 32 year old resident of Selkirk, Manitoba. During the day I am the Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility for a credit union headquartered in Winnipeg. Outside of my work life, I serve on Selkirk City Council as the Deputy Mayor, and on a number of other committees and non-profit boards. This blog is devoted to chronicling my experience as I take the 2011 Fair Trade Manitoba One Month Challenge.

Basically the challenge is that for one month (Feb 14-Mar 15), I must consume only fairly traded coffee, tea and chocolate. This is my third year participating in this challenge...and I'll be honest with you it's gotten pretty easy since the first time I took it. In the beginning, the coffee in my office wasn't fair trade, but now it is. The coffee my wife and I bought at home wasn't fair trade...but now it is. And it was difficult to find fair trade coffee in regular grocery stores or in restaurants....but now, it's pretty simple. In fact, the vast majority of the coffee and tea that I drink every day of the year is certified Fair Trade.

To me, Fair Trade is not just a product label...but it is more about the world view that I hold. The principles of Fair Trade are simple - purchase goods at a price that allows the producer to earn an income that is sustainable for their family, the community and the environment. One that provides hope and opportunity and ensures that their family isn't relegated to a life of permanent poverty. One that provides enough income so that they can contribute to the development of their community, and one that allows them use sustainable farming, harvesting and production practices.

Purchasing Fair Trade products is my way of recognizing the humanity of people who produce the food I consume. Rather than simply making a donation to charity - purchasing Fair Trade products empowers people to be self-sufficient and to create new opportunities for themselves. To put it bluntly - it is the way I expect to be treated in my employment, so why should I expect anyone else to deserve less?

Over the next month I will be posting short comments on my experiences taking the challenge. I’ll try to make them more interesting than this introduction!

For more information on Fair Trade visit http://www.fairtrademanitoba.ca/