| Oaxaca and Montreal, 30/03/2000 – Promoters of organic, shade-grown and fairly-traded coffees today requested the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) to help build a cooperative effort among these groups in bringing environmentally and socially sustainable coffee to market. The decision to explore ways to work together was the outcome of a two-day trinational workshop convened by the CEC in Oaxaca, in the heart of one of Mexico's prime coffee-growing areas.
"What we are recognizing here in Oaxaca is that we each have a contribution to make to what is really a common agenda, and that is social and environmental sustainability," says workshop chairman Jose Luis Samaniego of the Mexican environment ministry (Semarnap),"When you build informed consumer choice into the equation, the coffee market presents an opportunity to move that agenda forward."
The CEC was created by Canada, Mexico and the United States to foster cooperation among the people and governments of North America in responding to environmental opportunities and challenges that emerge in the context of a continent-wide open market.
The CEC’s interest in the coffee sector originated with its recognition of the potential for shade-grown coffee to contribute to the conservation of Mexican forests, a biological resource and wildlife habitat of global importance. Shade coffee is so-named because it is grown in the shade of the forest canopy where natural predators and barriers inherent in a diverse environment preclude the need for pesticides. Shade coffee therefore meets many of the requirements of organically grown coffee. By avoiding the use of chemical inputs, shade and organic coffees foster a healthier environment in coffee farming areas. They also provide farmers with the opportunity to build a higher quality of life within their own communities, fundamental to the aims of the fairly traded coffee movement.
At the heart of the Oaxaca discussion was the question as to whether the different certification and labelling schemes currently employed by the various groups can move towards a cooperative label or even a unified label. "Our bottom line is improving conditions for producers and the environments in which they live," says the CEC's Scott Vaughan, "With this strong expression of will by the participants, we are certainly prepared to do whatever we can to help make that happen."
A report of the meeting will be prepared by the CEC in the coming weeks, outlining next steps in its work to build cooperation among the various players in the sustainable coffee community. | 
