December 2001 Call to Action News

Can globalization help the poor? Buying Fair Trade coffee, opposing Nike sweatshops

Participants at all three conferences were invited to join the international campaign against sweatshops and worker abuse. A major emphasis was on coffee.

As the second most heavily traded commodity in the world, coffee is a vital source of income for small farmers in some of the poorest countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. They grow 70 percent of the coffee we drink, yet today they are in crisis. As world market coffee prices have dropped as low as 45¢ per pound, Latin American farmers are devastated, receiving as little as 15-25¢ per pound. In El Salvador 30,000 farm jobs have been lost; in Nicaragua unemployed farm workers desperate for jobs have set up shantytowns in cities; and in Mexico families are being torn apart as members risk their lives at the border to find work in the U.S.

CTAers have a practical way to help: buy and drink Fair Trade Coffee. It was sold at CTA conferences, and even served at the sit-down dinners, thanks to a generous donation by Equal Exchange. Fair Trade Coffee means that a company works only with democratic cooperatives of small farmers, guaranteeing them a fair price - currently $1.26 per pound or more than double the world market price - while also providing affordable credit and a long-term trading partner. Together these standards offer small coffee farmers and their families hope for the future.
Over 3,500 churches, synagogues and mosques across the U.S. have already embraced the cause by joining the Interfaith Coffee Program. Together, these communities purchased 40 tons of fairly traded coffee last year, making an enormous difference in the lives of small farmers. To get involved, call 781 830-0303 x228, e-mail interfaith@equalexchange.com, or visit www.equalexchange.com.

Nike workers exploited in Indonesia
In Philadelphia, Jim Keady and Leslie Kretzu shared their personal journey to the sweatshops of Indonesia as part of their Olympic Living Wage Project. Keady and Kretzu spent last summer in solidarity with Nike sweatshop workers, living off $1.20 per day. They returned to the U.S. for a national speaking tour contrasting the hardship of Nike workers with the glamour of Nike-sponsored athletes, making pit stops at several CTA regional chapters. For information about bringing Jim and Leslie to your area contact: jwkeady@aol.com

Among other CTA speakers on economic justice were Kevin Danaher of Global Exchange, who sketched the big picture of globalization, and Kim Bobo of the National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, who shared many resources for organizing action. Order their talks on tape

All the above programs and more are detailed in CTA's Focus on Sweatshops packet, newly revised this year. Order your copy for $5 from CTA: 773 404-0004 or cta@cta-usa.org