Writer + Editor: Melody Yip - Vancouver, BC
May is Fairtrade Month! Tristin Rogerson, the marketing manager of Vancouver's favourite Doi Chaang Coffee Company is extremely passionate about making a difference and has a sweet story to educate us more about Fair Trade month as well as her company.
May is Fairtrade Month! Tristin Rogerson, the marketing manager of Vancouver's favourite Doi Chaang Coffee Company is extremely passionate about making a difference and has a sweet story to educate us more about Fair Trade month as well as her company.
"Fairtrade month is our excuse to celebrate everything Fairtrade! Producers, licensees, and consumers are all invited to participate in this month-long party, with celebrations ranging from demos, to bake sales, to giveaways! If you’ve never celebrated before, this is a great year to start, as there are more Fairtrade certified towns, workplaces and universities than ever before! This will be the 5th year that Canada is celebrating Fairtrade month, which encompasses World Fairtrade Day on May 12th and expands on what was “Fairtrade fortnight”, a two-week celebration. This year, the theme is feed empowerment, encouraging all of us to make decisions that create positive change and help to end exploitation in producing countries. We’re lucky to live in Vancouver, a city that has been certified as a “fairtrade town” since 2010. There are so many licensees, retailers, and advocates operating out of the city that it makes it easy, as consumers, to support Fairtrade! One of the best ways (in our opinion) to celebrate fairtrade month is to start your morning with a cup of Fairtrade certified coffee. One Vancouver-based coffee company has been pushing the boundaries of what it means to be “fair trade” for the last ten years, and we’ve partnered with them to help bring their brew to you!
Doi Chaang Coffee is a west-coast brand with roots stretching across the world to family-owned farms in the hills of Northern Thailand. In 2007, they partnered with the Akha Hill Tribe people to bring their super high-quality coffee to North America. They decided to go “beyond fair trade” and return 50% of the profits made back to the village while paying an above-fairtrade premium for the beans. This partnership was more successful than they could have imagined. With the help of their coffee-loving community, they have watched the village become totally self-sufficient, with roads, hospitals, clean water, and even wifi available to villagers. With this success comes the opportunity to re-create this beyond the fairtrade relationship with other farms around the world, and share their stories, just as they have done with Doi Chang Village." Want to win a gift box of Doi Chaang Goodies? Stay tuned for a giveaway later this month!