New Murals Celebrate the Farmers Behind Our Food

WASHINGTON, October 1, 2024 /3BL/ - Fairtrade America, the organization behind the world’s most recognized label for social justice and sustainability, the Fairtrade Mark, commissioned three new murals in celebration of Fairtrade Month this October.

Recent research showed that 92 percent of consumers are interested in learning more about the farmers who grow the ingredients in their preferred products. Created in partnership with local artists and installed at grocery stores dedicated to sustainable sourcing, these murals help connect shoppers with the people behind their food. Each depicts a farmer who grows Fairtrade certified cocoa or coffee sold inside the store.

• Boise, ID: The cocoa grown by Carlixta and Francisco Contreras Martinez is an ingredient in products from Navitas Organics, which shoppers can find on shelves at Boise Co-op.
• Buffalo, NY: The coffee grown by Ibu Rahmah is an ingredient in products from Gimme! Coffee, which shoppers can find on shelves at Lexington Co-op.
• Denver, CO: The cocoa grown by Salamatu Katta is an ingredient in products from Hu Kitchen, which shoppers can find on shelves at Leever’s Locavore.

The murals are part of Fairtrade America’s annual Fairtrade Month campaign, ‘We are Fairtrade,’ which connects shoppers, grocers, brands and farmers to celebrate their roles in creating a world where the people who grow our food get paid a price that allows them to thrive.

Shoppers, brands and retailers can celebrate Fairtrade Month by:

• Choosing Fairtrade certified products when shopping
• Sharing ‘We are Fairtrade’ content online
• Promoting Fairtrade products in-store and hosting events

Through October 31^st, 2024, shoppers can also enter for a chance to win the Fairtrade Month Grand Prize Giveaway. Three winners will receive a Cuisinart soft serve ice cream maker and one-year's supply of Fairtrade certified goods from Gimme! Coffee, Hu Kitchen and Navitas Organics.

“The longstanding profit-over-people-and-planet approach to international trade must change. Two million Fairtrade farmers and workers are telling us it’s simply not sustainable,” said Amanda Archila, Executive Director, Fairtrade America. “Shoppers, retailers, and brands who choose Fairtrade stand with farmers in their pursuit of fairer pay. With this campaign, we amplify their stories and commemorate their work in the form of public art to inspire more allies to join our movement to build more equitable food systems.”

Fairtrade is an alternative approach to trade that is based on partnership instead of exploitation. The farmers featured in the murals represent the more than two million Fairtrade farmers and workers in Fairtrade certified cooperatives that grow valuable products like coffee, cocoa and bananas. Products bearing the Fairtrade Mark are certified against rigorous economic, social and environmental standards from the farm to the shelf, helping shoppers easily purchase products that align with their values in stores and online.

About the Farmers

Carlixta and Francisco Contreras Martinez, mural by Bobby Gaytan, located at Boise Co-Op Market, Boise

Carlixta and Francisco Contreras Martinez are siblings from Monte Plata, Dominican Republic. Together, they care for three cocoa farms that they inherited from their parents, who were cocoa farmers for many years. Their cocoa beans are Fairtrade and Organic certified.

The siblings say the climate has changed a lot in Monte Plata. When it’s too hot and there is not enough rain, the cocoa pods cannot fully develop. In recent years, this has caused as much as 60% of their production to spoil. Because of their affiliation with Fairtrade, Carlixta and Francisco have received trainings about climate change and best practices for adjusting to changing weather.

“Climate change is a reality. The climate has changed a lot, and we have been affected. In the last couple of years, we have been strongly affected,” said Francisco. “We feel proud to belong to the cocoa region, and we have kept up our production,” he continued.

“My favorite moment in the farming process is when we harvest it and make our money! You know, the money we use to survive on this earth!” Carlixta said with a laugh.

The siblings’ farms are part of Fairtrade certified cooperative Fundación Dominicana de Productores Orgánicos (FUNDOPO), from which Navitas Organics sources cacao for their Organic Cacao Powder. Navitas Organics’ Organic Cacao Powder is available for purchase at Boise Co-Op Market.

Ibu Rahmah, mural by Julia Bottoms, located at Lexington Co-op, Buffalo 

Ibu Rahmah serves as chairwoman for Ketiara Cooperative, the largest coffee farming operation in Indonesia. Ketiara Cooperative has been in business for more than 60 years and is the primary source of jobs for neighboring communities. Four generations of Rahmah’s family have been involved in coffee farming or trading.

“Growing up surrounded by coffee plantations, warehouses, and factories, coffee has always been imprinted in my daily life. From a young age, I observed the processes of planting, caring for, harvesting, and processing coffee. Every day after school, I used to visit our coffee plantation nearby. Red coffee beans even became my favorite candy as they tasted sweet,” said Ibu Rahmah.

“In 2010, my curiosity and an opportunity led me and the Ketiara Cooperative to engage with Fairtrade. Having my roots in coffee farming and being involved in the coffee industry for a long time and starting from scratch, I can confidently say that Fairtrade has offered key advantages to us coffee growers: fair prices, improved farming practices, and guidance in running and maintaining a transparent collective business model. These benefits have been instrumental in the growth of our cooperative, as evidenced by the increasing number of farmers eager to join without the need for our invitation,” said Ibu Rahmah.

Ibu Rahmah and her Ketiara Cooperative are a sourcing partner of NY-based coffee roaster Gimme! Coffee. Gimme!’s Fairtrade certified coffee is available for purchase at Lexington Co-op.

Salamatu Katta, mural by Chelsea Lewinski, located at Leevers Locavore, Denver 

Salamatu Katta is a 29-year-old cocoa farmer who is farming like the future depends on it – because it does.

Katta, from Sierra Leone in West Africa, was given her father’s cocoa farm as an inheritance when he passed away. Her farm is part of Munafa Cooperative, which is Fairtrade and Organic certified. Being part of a certified cooperative helps her to earn more when selling her cocoa beans.

“I hire young adults to carry out underbrushing and pruning. My dream is to become a cocoa farmer entrepreneur, creating jobs for our youth – for the future of our community,” said Katta.

“Through Munafa, since I became a Fairtrade/Organic farmer, I have observed my yields increasing due to the organic practices ensuring that we do not use chemical inputs. As farmers, we don’t want to destroy the environment or create more health issues for ourselves,” said Katta.

Katta and Munafa Cooperative are a sourcing partner for Hu Kitchen, which buys 100% of the cocoa in their products from Fairtrade certified cooperatives. Hu Kitchen’s chocolate bars are available for purchase at Leever’s Locavore.

Editor's Note: Photos and videos available upon request.

Media Contact: Liz Davis, Fairtrade America | ldavis@fairtradeamerica.org, +1 937.776.3493

###

Quotes from Artists, Brands, and Retailers 

Artists

"Many years ago, my grandparents migrated up north to work in the Idaho farmlands. All they had was a dream and a lot of will. After the harvest seasons, a lot of migrant families would return to their southern homelands. Those that stayed would eventually call Idaho home and raise kids that grew up to be freedom fighters and great contributors to this society. Working and fighting hard so that future generations could have the opportunities their ancestors dreamed of. I dedicate a lot of my art to my family, my community, and all the migrant farmworkers who continue to work hard and contribute to this beautiful land we now call home," said Bobby Gaytan, Boise Co-Op Market Mural Artist and Meridian Arts Commissioner.

Brands

“The big business of coffee will always dictate the terms of trade for millions of smallholder producers. Fairtrade is the only large-scale, global intervention to an exploitative international coffee trading system. We stand behind the standards of Fairtrade because they provide a price floor, mandatory premiums and procedure-centered trade requirements. We believe it is a tide that lifts all ships upon which quality-differentiated coffees can thrive and coffee producers can lead dignified lives,” said Colleen Anunu, Head of Coffee, Gimme! Coffee.

“When members of our team traveled to Sierra Leone, we met many of these farmers as we visited communities within their cooperatives. In that trip, we learned quite a lot, but one of the core takeaways was just how positive an impact Fairtrade can have on the farmers that take part. We saw cooperatives working to strengthen social bonds across villages through the building of shared community spaces, investing in health and wellbeing by creating private spaces for expecting mothers, and fortifying their businesses through collective seedling nurseries and solar drying facilities,” said Daniel Klausner, Director of Commercial Strategy & Impact, Hu Kitchen.

“Investing in smallholder organic farmers and prioritizing a fair and equitable wage while providing healthy working conditions, is a no brainer. We’re helping to create economic opportunities and strengthen global rural economies across the supply chain, and there’s nothing more rewarding, humbling and important than that,” said Max Darcey, Director of Sustainability and Quality, Navitas Organics.

Retailers

“This mural celebrates Fairtrade Month by highlighting the vital role of Fairtrade in promoting equality, dignity, and respect for farmers and workers worldwide. Through this vibrant artwork, we hope to inspire conversations about the positive impact of choosing Fairtrade products and support a more equitable world,” said Tyler Schnur, Director of Marketing, Boise Co-op Market.

"This has been an exciting opportunity to beautify our Hertel location while celebrating the story of the farmers whose knowledge and labor makes possible the coffee we enjoy every day! We look forward to sharing this one-of-a-kind mural with the entire community and bringing more awareness to Fairtrade products,” said Jennifer White, Marketing & Communications Manager, Lexington Co-op.

About Fairtrade America

Fairtrade America works to rebalance trade, making it a system rooted in partnership and mutual respect rather than exploitation. It's about businesses, shoppers, farmers and workers all working together so we can all experience the benefits of trade. Fairtrade America is the U.S. branch of Fairtrade International, the original and global leader in fair trade certification with more than 30 years of experience working for fair trading practices in more than 30 countries across the globe. A non-profit 501(c)3 organization, Fairtrade America is part of the world's largest and most recognized fair trade certification program —part of a global movement for change. Learn more at fairtradeamerica.org, and by connecting with Fairtrade America on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Boise Co-op Market

Boise Co-op Market is a community-owned, natural foods market committed to nurturing everybody in our community without compromise. We offer responsibly sourced products and prioritize quality, ethics, sustainability, accessibility, and care in everything we do. Visit us at boise.coop to learn more.

About Gimme! Coffee

Gimme! has a proven history of coffee expertise in coffee preparation standards, supply chain sustainability, and equipment installation and maintenance, but their employee-owned structure gives a renewed sense of meaning to what this coffee thing is all about: economic prosperity from coffee producers to baristas rooted in sensory and community experiences. Their distinctive specialty coffees are Gimme’s platform to elevate the standards of hospitality and manufacturing to create meaningful work and ensure that coffee systems thrive.

About Hu Kitchen

Founded with a mission to unite simple ingredients and unbeatable taste, Hu prioritizes not only those enjoying their products but also better supporting the livelihoods of the farmers that grow the ingredients we source to make our products. As a proud partner of Fairtrade, Hu sources 100% of its cocoa, coconut sugar, cashews, vanilla, and quinoa on Fairtrade terms.

Hu is a values-driven organization and by adhering to Fairtrade standards, Hu invests in a system that aims to better empower farmers voices while contributing premiums that directly support farmers who harvest the high-quality ingredients found in their products.

Through this partnership, Hu continues to deliver indulgent, simple ingredient chocolate and support a more secure livelihood for the people and communities behind their ingredients.

About Leevers Locavore

At Leevers Locavore, our mission is to create a community hub centered around food and beverage. We believe in redefining the local market in a modern and fun way. We believe in creating unique opportunities for quality local producers, our employee owners, and like-minded vendor partners. We believe that collectively we can do some good in our small part of the world and truly benefit the communities in which we operate.

About Lexington Co-op

Lexington Co-op was founded in 1971 by a group of community members – owners – looking for access to fresh, organic, and locally sourced foods. Today, with two stores in Buffalo, N.Y., the co-op has over 20,000 owners and carries products from more than 120 local vendors, including 40 farms. Increasing access to local foods and supporting and sourcing from Western NY farms and producers continues every day! From year-round local apples to fresh dairy, Buffalo-made pierogi, to locally brewed beers, natural meats from Western NY farms and local ingredients in our prepared foods, the co-op is committed to building the regional economy.

About Navitas Organics

At Navitas Organics®, the mission is simple. They are committed to creating a healthier world through regenerative organic farming and plant-forward lifestyles. Founded in 2003 from a belief in the power of plant-based, whole foods to help us live healthier, more enriching lives, Navitas Organics® now offers 60+ USDA certified organic SKUs including baking products, wellness staples, functional snacks, and beverages. All Navitas Organics® products are Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan. Navitas Organics® Cacao Wafers and Cacao Nibs are Fairtrade certified and their Cacao Powder is Fairtrade certified and Regenerative Organic Certified®. Navitas Organics® is proudly a purpose-driven, B-Corp company with a vision of using business as a force for good.