I’d stop drinking coffee, but I’m no quitter.
Archive for September, 2009
At What Price, Organic Beverages?
How many people really wonder how and where their morning coffee is processed? They are in a hurry, rushing out the door, stopping at the local café, ordering their coffee of choice, and then, rushing off to work again. Not much time to think of anything else, let alone something as familiar as a start up coffee.
Green, eco-friendly groups are hopping on the organic coffee bandwagon, promoting the wave of the future with the offer of affordable, sustainable, organic beverages. Remember the terms: bird friendly, shade grown, patio dried, sustainable and organic.
No pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or chemicals to ruin the soil, but the coffee beans will take more time, are slower to ripen, and have a smaller window for picking. Quality not quantity.
However, in the fast paced world we live in now, will we wait? In the past, companies sold anything that was guaranteed to add to their profits and reach their goals. Not many people thought about third world countries in need.
The new environmental groups are more responsible, more eco friendly, and willing to sell to their consumers the best products, sustainable and accountable, such as organic coffee, tea or cocoa. They can determine where the organic coffee, tea or cocoa came from, whose farm it was, and if the organic farmers are benefiting from the consumer purchases.
There is still a long way to go, moneywise, and accountability on behalf of those coffee, tea and cocoa farmers is still far from acceptable. Consumers of organic coffee, tea and cocoa are the forerunners to ensure that the poverty of growers of organic products in other parts of the world will be a thing of the past. Soon, we hope.
School Fundraising and Children
Child safety in fundraising should be a main priority. Fundraising in schools should strongly discourage unsupervised door-to-door selling. There should be safety steps in place, accessible to everyone involved.
Recently, a number of school fundraising programs concluded they were in need of a complete overhaul. Burnt out on bake sales and car washes, and products that were unable to be recycled, some schools decided to do the organic coffee, tea and cocoa fundraiser, and couldn’t believe the results. In addition, they were still making money from the ongoing re-orders.
One of the great advantages for children to fundraise in schools is the lesson they learn in regards to self discipline, accountability and finishing what they start. However, there are several fund raising safety issues to make them aware of:
DO:
Make a list of friends, family, relatives, and neighbours to contact.
Avoid door-to-door sales.
Have parents involved with each fundraising activity.
Follow all the instructions provided.
Make sure parents have approved who you intend to ask to support your group.
Telephone family and friends when asking them to making a purchase.
DON’T:
Allow children to carry collected money unless accompanied by a responsible adult.
Sell alone. (use the buddy system)
Carry large amounts of cash.
Talk to strangers.
Go out after dark.
These bywords with guarantee that not only will your fundraising campaign be a profitable one, but a safe one as well.
Schools: Change the World
Whether it’s improving education or saving lives, the world needs our consideration. What better way to inform future adults than through the school system. Teach them to research and use environmentally friendly, organic products. Not only will they be helping those in need by purchasing organic items, it will make a lasting contribution towards the health of the planet.
So, are you a parent who is upset with having your child selling unsustainable products to raise money for his/her school? Does it operate through businesses whose products are not organic, earth-friendly, wholesome or green?
For decades, children have sold candy, chocolate bars and cookie dough to friends and family to help fund extra activities and update school playgrounds. Now, a change is at hand. Eco-friendly, fairly traded, shade grown, bird friendly, organic coffee is a better idea. Fair trade teas and cocoa are also wholesome alternatives.
Fair trade coffee was a concept begun a few years ago by a few producers who wanted to make certain their customers were aware that their organic coffee was produced with attention towards decent working and living conditions for workers and the protection of the ecosystem. It appealed to schools looking to integrate lessons about the environment and labor standards along with the regular subjects.
It is also a good moment in time, as schools are lobbying local governments to eliminate junk food in the face of rising childhood obesity. These days, “going green”, is becoming more popular with parents and teachers paying more attention to energy use, pollutants and the benefits of organic products. Children had been confused to hear many school counselors telling them about obesity and then have them selling cookie dough. They worried about global warming, and then came home with items that couldn’t be recycled.
Through the organic movement, children learn about choosing fair-trade and organic products to sell because they should care about other people in the world and the wages that these people are earning. They learn to choose fair-trade and organic because it raises the standards of living everywhere, which is a good thing. Finally, they should choose fair trade and organic because if roles were reversed, hopefully, others would choose them for you.
Coffee Joe Says:
Given enough coffee, I could rule the world.
Fund Raise With Organic Beverages
Fundraising with organic coffee can be the answer to a healthier habit: for those who drink the coffee, for those who produce the coffee, and for the planet which gives us the means to grow the coffee. Organic tea and organic cocoa also would be good choices.
At one time, no one cared or wondered where their coffee came from. It was hot, wet and filled a need for the public to be able to function first thing in the morning. As the years went by, more and more media attention was focused on the organic coffee farmers, the organic tea farmers and even the cocoa farmers. Their working conditions, livelihoods, families, and communities were suffering, and the rest of the world just carried on, drinking their morning brew.
Science researched and published information linking organic beverages with health; advising they are better for us, having been grown with less invasive methods, and without any harmful chemicals, pesticides or fertilizers. The farmers are now reverting back to the natural way of growing and processing organic coffee, tea and cocoa. Plants are shade grown under tree canopies, with less direct sun, slower ripening periods, and thus, the global community has a more quality driven market through Fair trade options.
Fund raisers who promote these organic coffees, teas and cocoa, are the groups who will benefit most from the new crop of informed, eco-friendly consumers.
Easy and Organic Fundraising
Fundraisers can offer your school, church group, rotary club or non-profit organization an opportunity to use fair trade, organic coffee to raise funds for projects or activities. Your customers will be benefiting both your organization and the small coffee farmers represented by purchasing organic coffee.
How easy is it? Just promote a product that is organic, green, non-chemical, one that helps to assist organic coffee farmers who are living in poverty. They have families to raise, just like your supporters, so to know these coffee communities are getting a fair price for their coffee is satisfying. If it is satisfying, your fundraising consumer will buy more – a win-win situation.
Recently, fund raisers have realized the benefit of selling a more accountable product to their consumers. Organic coffee is readily consumed, and has no spoilage, mess or complicated processing. New to the mix, is the ethical, compostable coffee bag. The fundraiser customers can throw it away, in good conscience, without adding to the landfill issue, and still put the coffee grounds into their gardens.
While fund raising groups are trying to be socially responsible, they are looking for products that protect the earth and help the producers at the same time. The new generation wants the best organic beverages that money can buy, but they want to know that their dollars are going to the people who need it the most. It adds another favorable selling point – after all, green is the colour of success, both in reaching your fundraising financial goals and looking out for the environment.
Organic Coffee – Fundraising Product that Sells Itself!
It doesn’t matter if it’s a school fundraiser, a church fundraiser, a sports team looking to raise funds, or a rotary club, certified fairly traded, organic coffee is a product that almost sells itself! As a specialty coffee company, we are flexible, and are able to work with every different fund raising group to meet their individual goals and requirements. Those people who drink organic coffee appreciate really good coffee, so “making the sale” has never been easier.
However, many of them don’t like selling. There have been numerous fund raisers where the product is not really wanted but is purchased out of a sense of obligation, or because of someone they know is personally involved or merely as a token donation to the fundraising event.
Organic coffee is something people really love and… want more! It’s a fund raiser that offers real value. Fundraising with organic coffee will appeal to a growing population out there who understand the meaning of organic, fair trade, bird friendly and shade grown. These same coffee consumers have learned about the coffee roasting process, they know where their coffee comes from, and know how a good cup of coffee should be brewed.
A responsible fund raising group will be able to discuss the advantages of drinking organically grown coffee. The organic fair trade green coffee beans ensure no pesticides or chemicals were used in any processing. These are a sustainable resource which results in a beverage with additional health benefits, as no artificial fertilizers have been added to the soil. Thus, the choice to drink organic coffee goes beyond being personal. It becomes the global social conscience.
Due to more public awareness, a fund raiser must cater to the idea of promoting a product to help the organic coffee farmers and harvesters, local wildlife, groundwater, the environment and ultimately, the planet at large. It seems to be a huge undertaking, but it is one that will dictate which fundraiser the consumer will support in the future.
Coffee Joe Says:
Forever: The time it takes to brew the first pot of coffee in the morning.
