You can make a difference in the world every day, simply by purchasing coffee.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters of Vermont is the introduction of Heifer Hope Blend, a new organic coffee, whose sales contribute to the lives of small coffee producers in Guatemala. Forty cents of every bag is purchased Heifer International, a nonprofit organization that will be given to the fight against hunger in the world.
The partnership between Heifer and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters will provide support to poor farmers in the region of La Voz, San Juan La Laguna and other local needs in Guatemala.
Coffee prices are now so low that many farmers are not living the culture of coffee. With the help of Heifer, La Voz farmers get organic certification, shade grown coffee producers upscale. Green Mountain Coffee and the coffee is purchased from farmers at fair trade prices – a guaranteed minimum wage which is higher than what farmers come to the mainstream market – and roast and package as Heifer Hope Blend.
The farmers earn a high price and Heifer will expand its work to poorer families.
With money donated by Heifer Hope Blend, Heifer also helps coffee farming families diversify their livelihoods by providing livestock – cows, goats and other farm animals that produce income. This additional income means better nutrition, housing, health care and education.
Since 1944, Heifer has millions of poor families move to independence by helping with the cattle and ecological agricultural training. Heifer request then forwarded to the family, “the gift” by donating their animals to the offspring of others, thereby freeing entire communities out of poverty.
Green Mountain Coffee is committed to social responsibility and the environment, and made the surrender of five per cent of pretax profits to charitable causes to support.
“We’re really excited to be partnering with socially and environmentally responsible companies, like Green Mountain Coffee,” said Cynthia Hester, Director of Heifer partnerships with businesses. “It is important that nonprofit organizations to find new ways to extend the promotion of the company, its values in the nonprofit world.”