Second Cup's Rwanda Cup of Hope

[deranger]

liberal guilt?

[AdamH]

Here's the response I received via email today:

Hello Adam

Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your concerns regarding our purchasing practices. Second Cup shares your concerns about both social

and environmental issues and has made ethical purchasing practices a priority this is true of each coffee that we purchase. We continue to strive to be both socially and environmentally responsible by working with the "best practices" programs in coffee growing regions around the world. We believe that through education, finer treatment of land and people and paying

premium prices for superior quality coffee, we are able to advance the independence of each small community we do business with and introduce

positive changes in these communities. Our philosophy is to provide a hand

up, rather than a hand out.

Second Cup sources the world's finest coffees with great care and respect for the communities, environments and cultivation processes involved in

bringing the world's finest coffees to our valued customers.

- Second Cup pays a premium price for superior quality coffee. We know it costs more to grow, harvest and process the world's finest coffee and

therefore we are prepared to pay a premium price for the exceptional quality coffee our customers enjoy

-At Second Cup, fair trade is a commitment and a practice that directs premium prices to co-operative mills and farmers in coffee growing

regions that put money back into that region. This is a practice essential to sustaining superior quality coffee

-Second Cup has spent years nurturing and developing relationships with farmers, co-operatives and processors in order to secure our high quality coffee. The majority of coffee we buy is from small farms and the premium

prices we pay benefit the farmers directly by providing, housing, medical and dental support, education etc.

-Second Cup supports environmental methods of coffee growing. Due to our commitment to purchasing only the highest quality coffees, an

overwhelming majority of our coffees are shade grown. Shade Grown coffee produces a

superior coffee bean and is essential to preserve the environment and maintain a nesting ground for migratory birds.

-Second Cup purchases from "best practices" producers such as La Minita in Costa Rica, that promote better conditions for their workers, including providing health care, education and subsidized accommodation. We support and believe such working conditions result in the production of higher quality coffee. Farmers of our new Rwandan Blend actually named their coffee

Cup of Hope due to the efforts that our purchasing practices have allowed them to share in.

Second Cup partnered with the Foster Parents Plan in 1995, initiating a program allowing our franchisees and store managers to be directly

involved with the development of coffee growing areas. To this end, each of our cafes

sponsors a foster child in one of four communities located in Guatemala, Colombia, Kenya or Indonesia. At present café owners and operators

sponsor over 400 children in these communities.

Although we do make direct partnerships with the coffee growers who provide our coffee, we believe

in also giving back to the other children and their families who may have only an indirect relationship with coffee. Funds support improvements in Health and Sanitation, Protection of the Environment, Water Quality. The building

of homes and schools, and the advancement of local practices in Business and Agriculture and Human Rights.

If you are concerned about ethical purchasing of coffee, you can feel good about enjoying Second Cup coffee. We have seen the positive difference

we are making in coffee growing regions. Thank you again for your time and interest in the Second Cup.

If you have any further questions please contact our Customer Care

Centre at

1-877-439-2244 or secondcupcustomercare@cara.com.

Best Regards,

Susan Hill

Café Support Representative

The Second Cup

1-800-338-2610

905-405-6603

shill@secondcup.com

[dancingbear]

sounds like b.s.

the 'farmers' named it that. is it REALLY fair trade? i cant seem to make clear of their response.

[Freeker]

Coffee is Murder

Drink Whale

[bradm]

"Save the whales. The little ones are really good on the barbecue."

-- Tim, of No Buds For Bob, The Bayou, 2005-10-01

Aloha,

Brad

[TomFoolery]

Since they didn't capitalize and us the TM next to fair trade - it isn't sanctioned by the international organization that certifies "Fair Trade". It may be that they don't want to be impared by working through another system, but is more likely a way to hoodwink people with the term without having to conform to the full philosophy.

However, they do sound like they are taking some action on these issues. They wouldn't have any of those programs and responses if they weren't doing at least a minimum...

[Esau]

Unless they have over the last year or so it appears they are not Fair Trade.

Demanding Fair Trade Coffee at SECOND CUP

Fair Trade Toronto

Edited October 13, 2005 by Guest

[AdamH]

Since they didn't capitalize and us the TM next to fair trade - it isn't sanctioned by the international organization that certifies "Fair Trade". It may be that they don't want to be impared by working through another system, but is more likely a way to hoodwink people with the term without having to conform to the full philosophy.

However, they do sound like they are taking some action on these issues. They wouldn't have any of those programs and responses if they weren't doing at least a minimum...

Second Cup does not offer any Transfair or FLO-certified coffees, despite pressures and petitions such as those Esau linked to. They use the words fair trade freely because they perceive their trade as..um...fair.

Frankly the email response is a form letter and while I'm certain they are doing the things they say they are, there's nothing save self-governing and self-reporting to prove it.

I respect Foster Parents Plan, and the 400 sponsored kids, but I also believe their decision to partner with them was made to avoid the Fair Trade debate, and provide images of cute children in-store as a "Cause" rather than adding on average 3-5 cents to the retail price of a cup of coffee.

[AdamH]

And yet another emailed response..finally with some specifics. It's a good follow-up so I'm content to let this die until I find something else to get all crazy about:

Hello Adam,

In regards to the new Rwandan Cup of Hope coffee, this is actually not a promotional offer, but a new coffee being introduced into our portfolio. It

is purchased under the Solid Grounds purchasing Practice as are all of our other coffees. It will continue to be available to our customer as we

are in the process of forming a lasting bond with this region and should be available in all cafés depending on availability, we have found that

our customers are quite big fans of this new product. Our cafés did actually receive quite detailed information in regards to the coffees and we are broaching it with each café as our Territory Managers do in café visits.

Unfortunately we have found that in notifying the franchisee, sometimes the information doesn't make it's way to the staff in a timely manner but

we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the café staff is equally knowledgeable. I have also included a copy of a memo that went out in

regards to this new product. I understand that some of the information may be a repeat of the earlier response that I sent to you but you also may get a better understanding of this new product from it.

[timouse]

And yet another emailed response..finally with some specifics. It's a good follow-up so I'm content to let this die until I find something else to get all crazy about:

Hello Adam,

In regards to the new Rwandan Cup of Hope coffee, this is actually not a promotional offer, but a new coffee being introduced into our portfolio. It

is purchased under the Solid Grounds purchasing Practice as are all of our other coffees. It will continue to be available to our customer as we

are in the process of forming a lasting bond with this region and should be available in all cafés depending on availability, we have found that

our customers are quite big fans of this new product. Our cafés did actually receive quite detailed information in regards to the coffees and we are broaching it with each café as our Territory Managers do in café visits.

Unfortunately we have found that in notifying the franchisee, sometimes the information doesn't make it's way to the staff in a timely manner but

we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the café staff is equally knowledgeable. I have also included a copy of a memo that went out in

regards to this new product. I understand that some of the information may be a repeat of the earlier response that I sent to you but you also may get a better understanding of this new product from it.

meh.

the Fair Trade system exists for a reason. what 2nd cup is doing is like selling sugar free snacks (that diabetics might enjoy) that are actually slightly sugar reduced. or selling hairspray that was only tested on on a few animals, and none of them really seemed to mind.

i don't buy 2nd cup products, and i don't think this has enticed me to start.

thanks for digging this up polkaroo!

[bradm]

I got into the habit of going to Second Cup back in 2003, as I was going to Cafe Dekcuf in Ottawa two or three times a week, and my route to the club went right back a Second Cup (at the corner of Dalhousie and Rideau), so I'd stop in and get a cup. I find I like their coffees, and, as I said, it got to be habit for me.

So. If I wanted to get a coffee from a more socially conscious/respnsible store in downtown Ottawa (i.e., the Byward Market, ideally right near the Rideau Centre), what are my options? (I occasionally get a coffee at the Tim Horton's in the Rideau Centre, especially if I'm going to a show more in the centre of the Market, like The Rainbow or The Pour House.)

Aloha,

Brad