Coffee yield in Africa hit by up to 40% - livelihoods under threat

African coffee farmers' livelihoods could be destroyed without urgent action from all G8 countries to help them adapt to climate change, the UK's leading Fairtrade company warns today.

Cafédirect's farmers from across Africa and Latin America have reported dramatic declines in their harvests, with some coffee farmers experiencing a 40% reduction in their annual yield.

Erratic weather conditions in Africa are causing drought, catalysing disease, and reducing soil fertility, while in Latin America severe tropical storms are destroying crops, homes, and crucial infrastructure. Farmers lack the resources and technical support needed to combat the problems.

G8 countries, converging this week in Hokkaido, Japan for their annual summit, are being urged to deliver increased, accessible funding to help smallholder farmers in developing countries adapt to the changing climate. G8 leaders will discuss a proposal to cut carbon emissions in half by 2050, but many, including the farmers themselves, are worried this will be too little, too late.

"The coffee plants are badly affected - flowering is stopping. Last year alone we lost about 40% of our coffee production because of climate change," said Willington Wamayeye, Managing Director of Cafédirect's coffee partner Gumutindo Coffee Co-operative in Uganda. "As a result our people struggle for everything - food is getting more expensive and key food crops, like bananas, are being threatened as well. I have seen some crops completely wiped out."

"Farmers don't have 42 years to wait," said Anne MacCaig, CEO of Cafédirect. "The problems they face today need to be tackled at a global level. The G8 leaders must take decisive action."

Cafédirect is calling on the G8 to:

• provide adaptation funds for tea, coffee, and cocoa farmers on the scale needed
• develop suitable mechanisms so the funds can be accessed immediately by smallholder farmers in developing countries
• step up efforts to reduce the G8's carbon emissions.

 

More about Cafedirect: 

"Through their Producer Partnership Programme, Cafédirect has gone out of the box to show there is a lot more that can be done than just Fairtrade.  The extra effort made in building farmer and management capacity in a bid to sustain supplies of tea has been received by us farmers and factory staff with appreciation. It has placed Cafédirect in a class of its own which is worthy of my respect."

Julius Ethang'atha, Tea Grower, Michimikuru, Kenya

"When our cooperative first began working with Cafédirect over five years ago I didn't believe there would be any change in our lives. Now I am sitting here today feeling very happy. The growers are paid better prices and receive training. Cafédirect is not like the others. I did not believe anything would change but now it is changing." Emiliana Aligaesha, Coffee Grower, KDCU, Tanzania.

 

Awards

• Teadirect, Cafédirect's tea brand, is nominated for Best Hot Beverage in the 2008 Branded Excellence Awards
• In a survey of 2,000 global brands Cafédirect ranks No. 1 as the most recommended brand (Source: Millward Brown, March 2007)
• Cafédirect's Machu Picchu gourmet coffee beans were awarded a Gold Star in this year's Great Taste awards.
• Combining taste, price, ethics, and availability, Teadirect tops the Fairtrade Tea category: New Consumer Magazine, February 2008

Notes on Cafédirect plc:

• Growers play a key role in every aspect of Cafédirect, from governance to product design. They own shares in the company and have 2 directors on the Board.
• Together with our grower partners, we share a passion for producing the best quality teas, coffees and drinking chocolate. Our latest is the premium Teadirect Gold, now available at Waitrose.
• Cafédirect was founded in 1991, predating Fairtrade in the UK by three years and was the first coffee brand to carry the mark. With a turnover of £22.3 million (2006/07), we are the UK's largest 100% Fairtrade hot drinks company, the 5th largest coffee brand and 7th largest tea brand.
• Cafédirect's work has directly improved the lives of 1.4 million people in developing countries by partnering with nearly 300,000 smallholder growers through 39 grower organisations across 13 developing countries.
• Over the last 3 years the company has invested on average 60% of profits in the businesses and communities of its grower partners.
• Supporting sustainable development, Cafédirect pioneered a minimum price for tea growers, and reward growers for quality and organic produce.
• Our range of delicious 100% Fairtrade coffees, teas, and hot chocolate is available in major supermarkets, independent retailers, Oxfam shops, Traidcraft mail order, and the Cafédirect online store, as well as thousands of food service venues, such as hospitals, universities, schools and hotels. They are also available in Ireland, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

To learn more about Cafédirect visit http://www.cafedirect.co.uk/

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A new Yorkshire based fashion brand is launching a t-shirt range for young children, which is both organic and ethical. 

MooMoo offers unique, fun and funky organic t-shirts for babies and kids.

The debut collection features beautiful appliquéd designs for both boys and girls.  The collection incorporates a wide selection of contemporary styles and designs including colourful imagery of cupcakes, butterflies, guitars, skull & crossbones, cars, elephants and much more. 

MooMoo  - founded by mother of two Claire Duckworth - produces clothes by Organic Cotton which is sold at mothers' and toddlers' groups and via the brand's website http://www.lovemoomoo.com/.

MooMoo prides itself on having an incredibly honest and friendly service. 

Company founder Claire Duckworth commented," MooMoo started because we couldn't find any contemporary and unique organic clothes for our children." 

"I started out by making t-shirts just for my children and then other parents saw them and started asking me where I'd bought the t-shirts".

" From there, we started selling at local mum's and tots groups which proved really successful, we've had amazing feedback from mum's and plenty of repeat business and recommendations!"

Claire added, "The t-shirts are designed by me, I also cut all of the fabric motifs by hand. It's very rewarding and I'm really happy to be providing a product which I believe makes children look and feel great and makes the parents feel proud".

"You can be sure that when you purchase clothing from MooMoo you are supporting the efforts of Organic Farmers & companies which conform to ethical policies (i.e. no sweat shop or child labour).  That is something I am really committed to. We also try to support and use as many local suppliers as possible".

To view and purchase the latest MooMoo range visit http://www.lovemoomoo.com/.

All MooMoo suppliers conform to ethical policies.

More about MooMoo

MooMoo was founded by Claire Duckworth.

Claire operates the business from the West Yorkshire village of Baildon where she lives with her family.

For more information please visit http://www.lovemoomoo.com/ or contact Claire Duckworth on lovemoomoo@btinternet.com.

 

MooMoo organic range is certified by the Soil Association.

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