Ten Thousand Reasons to Smile on Good Friday

Public support yields €10,000 for fairtrade project in Nicaragua.

Money will support dignified working conditions for women.

Baristas Aigi Lints, Amandine Fouin & Martina Semanikova proudly display the Fairtrade Fortnight Signature Boards on Grafton Street Dublin.

DUBLIN, Good Friday, 2nd April 2010: Coffee experts Bewley’s recently invited customers and the public to sign a ‘Big Swap Wall’ in support of fairtrade, encouraged by the Nicaraguan Ambassador Ricardo Alvarado and Overseas Development Minister Peter Power. People took part with gusto and every signature has yielded one euro for the Soppexcca Women’s Farmers Co-operative at Jinotega in Nicaragua. With a top up from Bewley’s, €10,000 is now winging its way to coffee producers at Soppexcca.

Earlier today (Good Friday), 12 baristas paraded a dozen boards with the signatures at Bewley’s Grafton Street as the cheque was signed. The move augments Bewley’s current €2.5 million in fairtrade coffee supply contracts with the Soppexcca Co-op which supports the role of women in society and the economy. The separate donation will support the development of a project which seeks to provide dignified working conditions for women working in dry mill processing plants in the coffee industry.

The Bewley’s project will support the setting up of a legally recognised service co-operative of more than 40 women, who will work together to set guidelines, internal statutes and regulations in relation to better working conditions for women. The co-operative will also develop a strategic plan outlining alternative sources of income generation outside of the harvest season. In the immediate term, the project will oversee the construction of a canteen and a proper rest area to ensure workers can enjoy properly structured and supported break and rest periods.

Bewley’s buying programme seeks to achieve high quality for the consumer and fair deals for producers. To achieve this, the company establishes social contracts with growers and guarantees forward pricing to ensure their viability. Fairtrade is the only certification that guarantees a minimum price to farmers as well as an additional premium for social development projects in the locality.

Bewley’s is the largest importer, roaster and supplier of fresh coffee in Ireland and was the first coffee company to import fairtrade-certified coffee into Ireland fourteen years ago. It is by far the largest importer of fairtrade coffee, supplying many of Ireland’s leading foodservice, retail, forecourt and convenience store operators with their requirements. All coffees roasted and served at Bewley’s Café in Grafton Street are exclusively fairtrade-certified and Soppexcca supplies this requirement.