Press release for immediate release: Thursday, March 26, 2009

Thousands Of Kiwis Taking Part In Oxfam’s Fairtrade Coffee Breaks

Sign ups to host an Oxfam’s Biggest Coffee Break have tripled since this time last year with more than 15,000 people expected to take part in the annual event in May.

Oxfam Coffee Breaks are held anytime during Fairtrade Fortnight (May 2-17) and help to raise awareness of how Fairtrade can lift farmers and growers in the developing world out of poverty.

Kiwis sign up online to host a Coffee Break for friends or workmates in their home, at work, at their coffee groups, at school – wherever!

Oxfam then sends out a free fundraising kit, that includes delicious Fairtrade Atomic coffee or Trade Aid hot chocolate, as well as materials and a DVD to introduce people to Fairtrade and to raise money to support Oxfam’s work.

Millions of coffee growers in the developing world are struggling to earn a living. In the past year, soaring food prices, fuel price hikes and now the global recession have financially crippled growers and producers in the poorest regions of the world. Kiwi consumers can help make a difference by simply choosing to buy Fairtrade products at their local supermarket or café.

“We love a good cup of coffee here in New Zealand, but it tastes a lot better knowing your cuppa is made from Fairtrade coffee beans or cocoa and ensures the producers get a fair deal,” says Oxfam’s Executive Director Barry Coates.

“Oxfam’s Biggest Coffee Break is a chance to make real change to people’s lives.”

New Zealand has reported the fastest growth in sales of Fairtrade products in the world - a 45-fold increase in just four years. Annual sales have grown from NZ $200,000 a year in 2004 to NZ $9.13 million last year.

However, the range of Fairtrade products available in most supermarkets here is limited to coffee, tea and chocolate. New Zealand supermarkets carried 21 Fairtrade labelled products at most when surveyed in mid 2008. In contrast, shoppers in Europe – in particular the UK – can choose from around 140 Fairtrade labelled product lines.

In a great first step, Cadbury in the UK has announced it will be using Fairtrade cocoa in its top selling Cadbury Dairy Milk bar. This move will triple Fairtrade cocoa sales in Ghana, increase sales for existing Fairtrade farmers, and open up new opportunities for thousands more cocoa farmers. With pressure from Kiwi consumers, Oxfam hopes to see Cadbury in New Zealand choose the same path, not just for one ingredient in one bar, but 100 per cent of its products.

The Fairtrade movement has been one of the most powerful responses to the plight of producers in developing countries who have long been excluded from the benefits of international trade. An impressive 7.5 million people from 59 developing countries now benefit from the Fairtrade system.

Choosing to buy Fairtrade products is an easy and effective way to ensure that people in the developing world get a fair price for their goods, and helps them to work their way out of poverty.

Register for Oxfam’s Biggest Coffee Break online at www.oxfam.org.nz/coffeebreak, and help change the world one cup at a time.

ENDS/

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