Fair Trade Opportunity

Three Weeks and 30 Tons to Go:
Fair Trade Deadline Approaches

New York, NY, April 16, 2009-The United Methodist Committee on Relief
(UMCOR) is 30 tons short, with only three weeks to go, in a year-old
campaign to sell 100-tons of fairly traded goods in a year.

The 100-Ton Challenge will end on May 9, 2009, a year after it was
launched in partnership with Equal Exchange, a cooperative company that
ensures farmers receive a fair price for their labors and products.
Goods include chocolate, coffee, and tea.

In an effort to reach the goal, UMCOR has issued a challenge to United
Methodist annual conferences. An award will be given in two categories:
1) largest percentage of volume increase and 2) largest volume of sales
tabulated between April 1 and May 9.

*I*m confident the United Methodist connection will come through to
answer this challenge,* said June Kim, the UMCOR executive for hunger
and poverty. The goal could be met, she said, by even half of the
churches buying just one case of 12 ounce coffee bags. The coffee and
tea are good values for congregations that have "coffee hours" and/or
regular food service.

Ms. Kim explained that the goal of the 100-Ton Campaign is to
*increase awareness about fair trade in United Methodist churches
and enable us to put our faith in action by using our buying power to
eradicate the cycle of poverty affecting the lives of small-scale
farmers in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the United States.
Collectively, we can promote justice and improve the lives of many
persons around the world.*

Purchasing fairly-traded goods allows small-scale farmers to earn fair
prices, invest in farm improvements, reduce debt, and improve their
communities while providing a better life for themselves and their
families.

Fair trade products-coffee, tea, chocolates and snacks-can be purchases
through the UMCOR Coffee Project and ordered on line at:
http://interfaith.equalexchange.com.