One of the most central questions of this delegation to African coffee producers is this:

Is Fair Trade effective?

To be more precise: Do farmers receive the Fair Trade premium and can they choose how it is used?

While only 28 of Oromia's 171 primary farmer cooperatives are certified Fair Trade, growing that number was the number one answer when we asked the farmers what they want for the future. "More demand," they said. At Just Coffee we are making that happen. By pressuring other buyers of Fair Trade coffee to pay a higher rate, by paying a higher rate ourselves, and by being transparent – and having a growing successful business.

But let's get into the nitty gritty. "Fair Trade is effective? Prove it." you say. Well here are some examples of the 100+ improvement projects those 28 Fair Trade primary cooperatives have embarked on and completed.

1. One of the biggest needs in these communities is potable water. One of the primary cooperatives in the Yirgacheffe region we visited are working on just that. Here is a well that has been dug because of a partnership between this primary co-op and Oromia. While not complete, the equipment is on the way and this community will soon have clean water to drink.

2. Schools. Education was a resounding need in these communities for a number of reasons. Tadesse – the General Manager of

Oromia – said "Farming is the profession of people without hope." They want their children to have better lives and to be able to provide better lives for their families. School is a way to achieve a higher standard of living for children in these communities and it is also a way to respond to the exponentially growing population. Here in Kilensso Mokonisa a school has been built.

Before the school was built, what small short classes there were assembled under this tree.

Alternatives were walking hours to a nearby village to attend school there, and for most families that was not possible. They needed their childrens' labor on the farms to grow coffee and other crops. Now that they have a school in their community, students can attend for 8 hours a day and also contribute to work on the farm. We visited 5 schools and at the last one we visited we were able to talk to teachers and the prinicpal. Serving 743 students in their community (368 of whom are female) this school teaches Ormofo, Amaharic, English, Chemistry, Biology, and more. They use student-centered learning methods and all students in the community attend, even though education is not compulsory.

3. Improving production. The Quilenssoo Rassa primary coffee cooperative was able to use the Fair Trade premium to purchase a new processing machine that depulps, washes, and sorts the coffee cherries – and uses 95% less water than conventional wet processing techinques. This has allowed their community to increase production, increase quality, and decrease expenses of production. Improved production means better incomes in their community and more Fair Trade premium for social projects.

Future goals still exist: More potable water sources, better roads, more secondary schools, and further improved production. Through the continued success of Fair Trade financed by every bean of Just Coffee sold, we are making the shared dream of a better and more democratic world a reality.