Celebrate National Co-op Month!

If you did not know already, Wedge Worldwide is a department of a consumer owned co-op in Minneapolis. The Wedge Co-op to be exact. And October is the month to celebrate our business and the values it supports. It is National Co-op Month.

Here is a bit more information about co-ops. Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. We base our business model on the values outlined in the Co-op Principles, which are as follows:

• Voluntary and Open Membership
• Democratic Member Control
• Member Economic Participation
• Autonomy and Independence
• Education, Training and Information
• Cooperation Among Co-operatives
• Concern for Community

Learn more about the Co-op Principles on the Wedge Co-op's website.

Now that the very base of co-ops is laid out, what is National Co-op Month? The National Co-op Month's official website states, “Each October, cooperatives all across America celebrate the role, accomplishments and contributions of our nation’s cooperatives.

The annual celebrations play a key role in promoting cooperatives to our members, the public and policy makers. Through a combination of media outreach, member education, and interaction with policy makers, co-op month events help raise the visibility of your cooperative, and improve public understanding of cooperatives.”

The theme for National Co-op Month 2008 is as follows: “Stronger Together – Go.coop!” promoting the idea that everyone is stronger when we work together. Cooperatively owned businesses inherently invoke that concept through the democratic structure of their business models. “Stronger Together” was selected to establish the idea that, “when together, among each other or with consumers, cooperatives become an attractive and viable force in today’s global marketplace.”

So celebrate any cooperatively owned businesses that you know and love this month. Show your appreciation for all of the work that they do to improve how businesses are run, products are produced, et cetera.

A Day in the Life of Peace Coffee's Delivery Cyclist

Brad, the sole bike courier for Peace Coffee, is an essential cog in a wheel of change.

From the farmers of third world grower's cooperatives to the cups of globally-aware Minnesotans, each fair-trade coffee bean travels thousands of miles and is touched by the most committed and hard working hands in the organic movement. In the fair-trade coffee biz the local worker co-op, Peace Coffee, stands out above the rest. They think of the ecosystem over the individual, the global community over the profit margin and the 10-speed over the truck.

Brad presses the boundaries of eco-expectations by lugging about 300 pounds of organic fair-trade coffee by bike around the Twin Cities. Much like a pack mule high in the Colombian mountains, he pushes himself to the very limits. His daily grind takes him to Mississippi Market one day and the Wedge (Peace Coffee's top seller) the next. This demanding schedule leaves Brad with little time to relax or engage in other Peace Coffee affairs. "The convenient luxury of a break is secondary to the Peace Coffee mandate of selling fair-trade coffee," says Brad.

This Kenosha, WI native believes in the bike movement wholeheartedly, which led him to work at Freewheel here in Minneapolis. "Bikes remove the walls of our daily lives and they bring communities together. I truly believe it's only a matter of time before we'll all be on bikes," he says.

It wasn't until he volunteered at North Country Co-op that Brad's destiny with Peace Coffee started to unfold. "I fell in love with [Peace Coffee's] Birch blend," he says. With his love of biking and fair-trade organic coffee, becoming the Peace Coffee courier was a natural fit. "This is such an inexpensive and efficient means of delivery. For the price of a year's worth of insurance on a delivery van you can buy yourself a really nice bike," Brad explains.

Of course, there are the occasional vulgarities and threats thrown from speeding cars of the not so forward-thinking individuals. "I think I repress most of the bad stuff on the road. It's endemic of our society to have hostility towards people on bikes, but for every bad interaction there's at least five supportive people cheering me on," Brad says.

This local reporter enjoyed a ride on the Greenway and the annoyance of a honking car horn but will gladly leave this duty to a professional.

The torrential winds of a winter storm or the thick humidity of late July would keep the most well-intentioned citizens indoors. Brad's daily trek is not only his job, it is his passion. "Knowing I get to ride my bike helps me get up in the morning," he proclaims.

With thighs screaming and horns blaring, Brad's caffeinated cargo reaches its destination with the same dedication as the old mail carrier motto. He pushes through every seasonal change by blending thoughtful determination with global reverence. "The first unofficial day of spring is always the best. There is a positive vibe throughout the city, and that's when I get the most waves and smiles from people."

A cup of java served with compassion made Peace Coffee a quick hit among the local co-ops and coffee shops. As interest in their conscientious coffee brewed, Peace Coffee added a bio-diesel van to their dynamic family. This edition expands the delivery area beyond the scope of a Schwinn. "It's impractical to expect us to deliver coffee by bike to all of the suburbs and out of state. Having an alternative to gas made the change even more attractive." While Peace Coffee's origins are with bike delivery, bio-diesel or the occasional postage stamp allows for its national exposure.

"I'm obviously not the first bike deliverer, but I hope to continue setting an example for future viability in our cities," Brad declares.

The positive atmosphere of this peace peddler is contagious right down to the last drop. Next winter when cabin fever sets in, Brad will be riding down the Greenway dragging a couple hundred pounds of coffee through a below zero wind chill and he will be grinning ear to ear. He gives new meaning to the word devotion, and that's what makes really good coffee great.

reposted from wedge.coop

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Although, all of our readers are not local, Peace Coffee's dedication to the environment makes an impact on the overall process. Read a blog with similar topic, where we lay out the some effects that we see when we support local companies and artists at Wedge Worldwide, even though we are a national retailer. Also, check out Peace Coffee's products that Wedge Worldwide carries.

Say my Name: Equal Exchange Mulls Re-naming Ethiopian Coffee

Is Organic Ethiopian coffee misnamed? Equal Exchange thinks so, and out of respect for the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, Equal Exchange Coffee Co-op is changing the name of its Organic Ethiopian coffee to Organic Oromian.

Joe Riemann, Equal Exchange Coffee Co-op and Arfasse Gemeda, Youth Organizer for the Oromo Community of Minnesota.

Fair Trade Organic Ethiopian Coffee is Equal Exchange's second best selling "Point of Origin" coffee (Colombian is first) and the coffee company purchased over 420,000 lbs of coffee from Ethiopia last year, for use in various blends.

Equal Exchange will test-launch this name change in Minnesota co-ops in February.

"Some customers may see it as just a new name for their coffee," said Equal Exchange's Joe Riemann, responsible for spearheading this project, "but coffee means so much to the Oromian people. This name change is powerful for them on a real personal, social, and cultural identity level."

The name change from Ethiopian to "Organic Oromian" would specify for consumers where the coffee comes from, Oromia (o-ROH-mia) in Ethiopia, which is the homeland of the Oromo people. The coffee is still cited as originating in Ethiopia, too, of course.

"Oromia isn't internationally recognized," Riemann said, "and that's the problem."

Oromos constitute the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, and nearly one hundred percent of Equal Exchange's Fair Trade Organic Ethiopian coffee comes from the Oromia Coffee Cooperative Union. In fact, much of the coffee grown in Ethiopia is grown in Oromia.

The name change is being tested here because Minnesotans have a unique connection to Oromia: We are home to the largest single Oromo population outside Ethiopia. Some 20,000 Oromos live in Minnesota, according to Oromo Community in Minnesota.

"This community is right under our noses, and most shop in the same places where co-op people shop, go to the same coffee shops. It felt important to reach out to them and co-op shoppers at the same time," Riemann said.

"Bringing Oromos and co-op shoppers together over Fair Trade coffee is a very cool thing."

Say My Name

As Riemann said, it might seem a matter of semantics, but Oromos have endured stiff cultural repression for decades under various Ethiopian administrations. As explained by spokesperson from the Oromo Community of Minnesota, who asked to remain anonymous for this article, cultural identity is always at stake for Oromos.

"Nearly 100% of Ethiopian coffee comes from Oromia. But the government of Ethiopia wants to hide Oromia by not attaching [its] real name to the coffee. There are strong identity issues at play in this issue."

This is because Oromos have been subject to what can only be called "ethnic cleansing" in Ethiopia. Under several governments dating back to Emperor Selassie (who was overthrown in 1974) the Oromo language was banned, their people were resettled, unlawful internments were forced upon them, and even the name "Oromia" was replaced by a highly offensive moniker. For this reason, identifying Oromian coffee as "Ethiopian" is one more way of keeping these people invisible.

"I deserve to be called by my right name," said the spokesperson. "If someone calls me by a name I don't want, that's an infringement of one's rights. We greatly appreciate Equal Exchange for being a voice to Oromos in Oromia."

Black Gold

The need for a name change became clear after a recent showing of the movie Black Gold, a documentary about Fair Trade coffee featuring the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union in Ethiopia. The movie was shown jointly by Equal Exchange and the Oromo Student Union, and the discussion afterwards was potent. The audience was almost all Oromos except for Riemann and Scott Patterson, coordinator of Equal Exchange's Minneapolis Office.

"Afterwards, they were asking, 'Why is this coffee called Ethiopian when it comes from Oromia?' " Riemann said. "It was totally emotional. I mean, I got emotional, too."

Dee, an Oromo American woman, was deeply moved by Black Gold, especially by images of starving children in lush green farmland.

"There was a lot of concern and emotion in the room that night. The people on my mother's side were all coffee farmers," Dee said. Dee herself is part of a generation born in diaspora here in Minnesota, people who fled cultural oppression in Ethiopia. "My generation, we're aware that coffee is part of our culture, but we don't make connections about where we're buying our coffee here."

She added, "I've only been drinking Equal Exchange coffee since that night."

Aware that Equal Exchange might act on behalf of Oromos in America as well as Ethiopia, Riemann wanted his company to consider a name change for the coffee, to honor the people who grow this coffee.

But can a company give up name recognition and "brand" allegiance so easily? "Ethiopian" is one of the most widely recognized coffee names on the market, after all.

So to weigh support for the name change, Equal Exchange posted a "friendly petition" online, and Oromos from around the planet have weighed in to voice their approval. From the petition site:

By changing the name of your "Organic Ethiopian" to "Organic Oromian", you will give an opportunity for the voices of the millions of oppressed Oromo people to be heard.

Recognition of the Oromo people will eventually improve the human rights situation in Ethiopia and improve stability in the Horn of Africa.

We families of coffee growers want our coffee should be named "Oromian organic coffee" and not Ethiopian organic coffee.

Over a thousand signatures have been gathered so far from Oromos and others in far-flung regions, from Australia, Canada, Kentucky, to Germany.

"This is their family," said Scott Patterson, coordinator of Equal Exchange's Minneapolis office, "but it's Fair trade, too. It's two white guys in a room of black folks, talking about social justice in Ethiopia. This is really what Fair Trade is all about."

Just the Beginning

Because Oromos live in the West Bank, St. Paul, and Mankato, Equal Exchange believes that Minnesotans are in a better position to understand the need for this name change than others. But it's Equal Exchange's hope that the co-op community here, in particular, will embrace this change and raise the profile of Oromos in America.

"Fair trade isn't a happy touchy feely story," Patterson said, referring to the hurt and injustice behind the need for this name change. "There are no illusions. It isn't fixed. Oromos know the reality, and it's important for us to face that with them. The story is just starting."

Black Gold (trailer) (YouTube)

"Freedom is Key", by Oromo rapper Epidemicthevirus (YouTube)
Human Rights Watch: Full Report on Ethiopia's Oromia Region

written by Barth Anderson
reposted from wedge.coop

Wedge Worldwide and the Wedge Co-op are both carrying the newly named Oromian Coffee from Equal Exchange. Oromian Coffee is currently exclusively sold online through Wedge Worldwide. Also check out other products from Equal Exchange offered on Wedge Worldwide.

What's the big idea?

Wedge Worldwide puts a lot of thought into the types of products we carry and why we carry them. The decisions we make are laid out in our buying practices. They reflect our commitment to the following big ideas:

• Eco-Friendly and Natural Products
• Organics
• Fair Trade
• Social Responsibility
• Local Products
• Recycled Materials and Products

We try to think about these things, so that you do not have to worry about the products as you browse (shop) our website. We are absolutely commited to each and every one of these big ideas in order to lessen the impact that our products have on the planet. Check out our icons, which are designed to help navigate and easily recognize which of these guidelines each product meets.

We also have separate and possibly even more strict guidelines for our Natural Body Care products. Check out Wedge Worldwide's Body Care guidelines on our website. We also layout information for you regarding the majority of our body care vendors, letting you know who you are buying the products from and how each company functions as socially conscious companies in the sometimes bleak world of body care products.

There are many things to consider as consumers and we hope that our exacting standards help make the process a bit easier.

written by Jessie