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21 Feb2022 Fairtrade Fortnight 2022

Fairtrade Fortnight kicks off today as we at Insomnia are celebrating 16 years of having 100% Fairtrade Coffee! 

Being Fairtrade certified means that the coffee was produced according to international Fairtrade standards and it’s socially and economically fair, including the payment of a minimum price to the coffee farmers. In addition, workers and farmers receive an additional sum of money called the Fairtrade premium. This money goes to a communal fund to be used as they see fit to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions.

Every year during Fairtrade Fortnight we support a nominated Insomnia Community project and donate 5 cents from each hot beverage sold during that period. To date we have raised over €170,000.

This year, all funds raised between February 21st and March 6th, will go directly to the Unen Choit Co-op in Papua New Guinea to provide technology to improve farming and a solar solution package for energy.

The amount raised during these two weeks will provide:

• Providing technology to control humidity and moisture to improve the coffee quality
• Improving the coffee production by providing a solar solution package for energy & communications
• Creating a remote coffee training programme to upskill the coffee producers

Located in a remote coastal region of Papua New Guinea, the Unen Choit Co-op, has achieved the Fairtrade certification in 2016 and has been able to establish a supply chain to bring coffee to market – which is a major accomplishment for the cooperative considering there’s only two ways to reach the villages (plane over the mountains or a 7-hour boat ride).

Today, the Unen Choit is made up of 1750 smallholders and invests their Fairtrade Premium in a range of projects that benefit the local community, as well as helping to assist its farmers. The Fairtrade Premium earnings have allowed Unen Choit to enhance quality and productivity, improve business capacity and empower women.

The funds raised during this Fairtrade Fortnight will help the Unen Choit Co-op coffee farmers  to improve their coffee production knowledge - which ultimately will improve business capacity and empower the community.

None of this will be possible without your support, so please join us this year!