PB opened up a fair trade cafe within the PB office located in Hiroshima City. Cafe was opened to promote the concept of gfair trade,h develop potential supporters interested in the international cooperation, exchange information, fundraise, and to support coffee farmers. Cafe can also be used as a community space.
Cafe was able to make 900,000 Japanese Yen between September to March, which is actually a deficit considering the cost needed to open up the cafe, however. Considering high media attention, warm support from people, and also numerous opportunities for people to be exposed to issues ranging from fair trade, international cooperation, peacebuilding. and Africa, its first year was rather successful
Located near the centre of Africa and is very close to the equator, Rwanda is one of the best places to plant coffee. The high altitude, ample rain, mild climate and land with volcanic ashes make it ideal place to grow high quality coffee and fancies coffee lovers throughout the world.
Fair Trade Sales
Rwanda, which is fondly known as gLand of a Thousand Hillsh, is mainly covered by high grasslands and is
one of the most populous countries in Africa.Most of the population practices in agriculture.
Rwandafs GDP per capita (USD$1268 in 2003, one 26th of Japanfs) is rated 152nd of 177 countries
in the world and it has been identified as a heavily indebted poor country.
As it is also well known through the film gHotel Rwandah, Rwanda experienced the genocide in 1994.
It is estimated that about 800,000 people lost their lives in 100 days during the genocide.
This genocide caused severe economic and social damage in Rwanda.
With tangible improvements in security situation with consolidation of democratic system,
many efforts are made to reconstruct the economy of the country. Coffee industry,
which was an important industry to build this country even before the genocide, is one means to achieve this goal.
Caring abut the gOtherh through efair tradef
Coffee from Rwanda is mainly produced in small cooperatives most of them not knowledgeable of
import business and marketing. Having been affected by the legacy of colonial administration,
Rwandan people faced difficulties in even collecting necessary running fee to continue coffee production.
Under this circumstance, peoplefs lives cannot be improved. It was in this context where people began to focus
on the term gfair trade.h
Fair trade is an alternative system of trade that guarantees fair pay and fair consideration under the fair contract,
meaning this system can provide proper payment for producers and reliable products for consumers.
This system is carried out only under the satisfaction of both producers and consumers.
Fair trade is making tangible contributions to the national economic growth,
making an important progress in social and economical reconstruction of the country for people of Rwanda.
Smile over a cup of coffee
In addition to delivering eMaraba Coffeef under the system of efair tradef, PB also runs a cafe called
ePacof where we provide this specialty coffee.
Enjoying a cup of coffee
An ordinary scene of daily life is connected to smiles of local producers.
