To celebrate "Fair Trade Month" (not to be confused with last year's surprisingly controversial
"Deep Fair Trade Month") we will be hosting a representative from MICHIZA-- our grower partners
in Oaxaca, MX and the co-op featured in Dan Jaffee's "Brewing Justice". Please stay tuned to find
out how you can hook up with Rigoberto while he is in the Madison area.

Some info on MICHIZA:

Yeni Navan started as a small organization regrouping organic coffee producers from various ethnic groups.
Their name, Michiza, is an abbreviation of these five groups: Mixtecos, Chinantecos, Chatinos,
Cuicatecos and Zapotecos. The farmers hoped that through the organization they would be able to stop
the local intermediaries from manipulating the local price of coffee and exploiting them in the process.

Initially, they sold their coffee only on the local market. In 1989, the organization obtained legal status
MICHIZA - office shot under the name Yeni Navan, and they had the authorization to export. By 1991,
they were capable of exporting independently.

MICHIZA offers technical support to its members to improve their capacity in organic agriculture and
overall coffee quality and yields. MICHIZA is also responsible for marketing and the direct export of
their members` coffee. In addition, they are in a constant process of promoting women`s participation
in their decision-making, the impact of which is noted in the number of women who are members.

The main objective Yeni Navan is to raise the living standard of its partners and family
through a sustainable agriculture and the construction of a fairer and more equitable market.
The members of the cooperative have a diversified production and also produce oranges,
corn, beans and sugar cane.