by Chris Hill, for the Shuttle

Philadelphia-area food co-ops and Philly Fair Trade Coffee Roasters have created a new coffee blend, Philly Co-op Coffee, with an important impact in Philadelphia and abroad. In Peru and Honduras, where the coffee is grown, the farmers are paid fairly and the land isn’t abused, as this coffee is certified Fair Trade and organic. In Philadelphia, where the coffee is sold and consumed, $1 from each pound is being invested into building a more fair and just local economy via the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance.

Coffee buyers at Weavers Way and other area food co-ops (Mariposa, Doylestown and Swarthmore) partnered with PACA staff in developing the blend — described by Philly Fair Trade’s Adam Lees as “a smoky French roast undertone cooled by the natural sweetness of the Honduran coffee” — and the Weavers Way marketing team designed the logo. This is truly Principle Six in action! P6, for those who don’t know, is the international cooperative principle that calls for cooperatives to support other cooperatives and the overall cooperative economy. Philly Co-op Coffee embodies this perfectly: Food co-ops working together to grow the cooperative economy in our region. 

You’ll find Philly Co-op beans in bulk at Weavers Way Mt. Airy and Ambler, and in one-pound bags at Chestnut Hill. Just look for the logo!

Weavers Way is a proud founding member of PACA, and is one of PACA’s 21 members, including other consumer co-ops, credit unions, worker co-ops, housing co-ops and school co-ops. Through PACA, co-ops are providing mutual aid to each other and developing new co-ops. In the past year, with the help of a grant from the Knight Foundation, PACA established “20 Book Clubs/20 Co-ops,” an initiative to provide support to community groups interested in exploring the development of a cooperative business or enterprise. Of those 20 groups, seven have established themselves as co-ops — a remarkable track record. (To learn more about the 20 Book Clubs initiative, go to philadelphia.coop/20bookclubs.)

Proceeds from the sale of Philly Co-op Coffee will support PACA’s training and education programs, which are continuing to develop new co-ops and co-op leaders throughout the region, providing powerful tools for people to improve their own communities. PACA prioritizes working with those experiencing poverty, people of color, women and immigrants, to build wealth for those who have been traditionally exploited by our economy and excluded from economic prosperity. So not only is this coffee delicious, it supports the growth and development of co-ops, locally-owned, people-centered businesses that provide quality jobs and build stable community wealth. 

Full disclosure: I’m on the PACA board, and served on the steering committee that got it started. I’ve seen firsthand how PACA has raised the level of awareness about co-ops throughout the region — including among city employees and City Council members. I’ve met some of the members of new community-oriented cooperative businesses PACA has assisted with technical training and support. I believe these folks are making a real difference for people and their communities.