Event: Learn How Coffee Retailers & Roasters Can Realize CSR & ESG Goals
Industry event with award-winning Barista to showcase private label coffee, educate attendees about the value of Fair Trade Certification
About the Event
Join Fair Trade USA virtually on September 28, 2021 at 9am PDT/12 EDT for a coffee jolt to kickstart your day and celebrate International Coffee Day! Tune in to listen to award-winning Barista, Sam Spillman, as she takes us through a tasting of four high quality Fair Trade Certified private branded coffees.
Learn about coffee profiles, regions, sourcing, and how retailers are realizing their CSR goals and driving sales through their partnership with Fair Trade USA in this free Zoom event.
Why attend?
Just one cup of Fair Trade Certified coffee has the power to do more! In 2020, our coffee sales generated $30 million in Community Development Funds, helping coffee-producing communities invest in projects of their choosing that improve productivity, product quality, access to clean water, healthcare and so much more.
Awareness of social issues are at a tipping point – 80% of consumers indicate that sustainability is essential. As savvy consumers call on retailers and brands to pivot and provide products with purpose, fair trade can increase customer trust while also providing resilient supply chains that help you deliver on your CSR goals.
You will also hear directly from the Fair Trade USA team about the program and the impact it delivers at the farm level and in your business. After the tasting and talk, you'll also have the opportunity to network with peers to stay ahead of market trends.
Your Hosts
Sam Spillman
2019 United States Barista Champion
Sam is the Director of Coffee and Café Experience at Caffe Vita, a Fair Trade Certified Coffee roaster in Seattle, WA where she is currently living and falling in love with the coffee culture. She first started competing in the United States Barista Championship in 2014, and after many hours of preparation and perfection, she won the title 5 years later. Having worked in specialty coffee for close to a decade, Sam says she loves the career field so much that she hardly considers it work. “Coffee has given me the opportunity to meet talented coffee professionals all across the world," she says. “Not only that, but through working in coffee, the learning never stops. There is always something new and interesting to discover."
Abby Ayers
Director of Retail Partnerships
Abby works with Fair Trade USA's retail partners to create actionable plans to get credit for fair trade commitments and celebrate those with associates, investors, and customers. She supports retailers in developing private brand programs, creating sustainability goals and commitments, sourcing certified national brands, and promoting these items to drive business results. At Fair Trade USA she has supported retailers like Kroger convert two private brands to 100% Fair Trade Certification and Walmart to create their 20x25 Coffee Sustainability Commitment as well as advised brands like Death Wish on retail sales and expansion.
Samantha McEntire
Sales Operations Manager - Packaged Goods
Samantha came to Fair Trade USA after 5 years in the specialty coffee industry. She works with manufacturers to educate them on the value of fair trade, how to build fair trade into their brand, and how to effectively communicate the importance of fair trade to their business customers and consumers alike. Throughout her time at Fair Trade USA, Samantha has worked with all sizes of coffee partners from small specialty businesses to importers and enjoys connecting actors across the supply chain working towards a more equitable and sustainable coffee industry.
Sponsored By
Thanks to our partners Kroger, Sam’s Club, CVS, and Albertsons for co-sponsoring this event and making the choice to support coffee that does more! Fair Trade Certified coffee is more accessible than ever with the growth of high-quality private branded coffee carrying the trusted seal.
Learn more about fair trade for business HERE.
