Perk & Brew Receives Fair Trade Certification

Perk & Brew will work withFair Trade to make sure farmers can feed their families and educate their children.

ANN ARBOR, MI. -- February 27, 2003 --Perk & Brew, an Ann Arbor wholesale coffee roasting company, was Fair Trade Certified to roast and distribute coffee. Perk & Brew will work closely with the organization to make sure farmers can feed their families and educate their children.

Fair Trade Certified coffee is now the fastest-growing segment of the US specialty coffee market. There are more than 150 coffee roasters offering Fair Trade products in approximately 10,000 retail outlets nationwide. Coffee buyers are helping to make a difference for over 550,000 family farmers in 20 coffee producing countries. Revenues help fund schools, healthcare centers, technical training centers, farm improvement investments, and avoid the loss of land due to crushing debt.

Fair Trade promotes sustainable practices such as organic farming that protect the environment. Farmers grow coffee under the natural forest canopy, supporting wildlife such as songbirds. They compost biodegradable crop by-products like coffee pulp. They avoid the use of pesticides that contribute to global warming.

When consumers purchase Fair Trade Certified coffee, not only are they choosing high quality coffee from small family-run farms, but they are also assured that the growers are paid fairly for their harvest.

Brenda Moore, owner of Perk & Brew states, The organization has impacted thousands of farmers from fleeing their farms in search of work in the cities. The issue is more than drinking a good cup of coffee. It involves the continuance of the coffee trade. If all of the farmers abandon their farms, there will be no coffee to drink".

   Perk & Brew will work closely with Fair Trade in their efforts to build consumer awareness of and demand for Fair Trade Certified products. Regional campaigns in Boston, Seattle, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. have substantially raised the number of retail and institutional account offerings. Mrs. Moore is planning a future campaign locally in the Midwest region.

Perk & Brew believes socially responsible citizens can express their values by purchasing Fair Trade coffees. It is a fair deal for farmers and workers, and profitable for all parties in the chain of production. For more information or to purchase Fair Trade coffees, please visit Perk & Brews website at www.perkandbrew.com. Perk & Brew is a full service coffee roasting manufacturer located in 11 states.

Brenda Moore
      Perk & Brew Corp
      734 669-8380
      Brenda@perkandbrew.com
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