(SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, USA) DECEMBER 29, 2004 -- In response to the recent earthquake and tsunami in Southern Asia, Coffee Kids formed a partnership with ForesTrade to provide much-needed disaster relief services to families in Sumatra's coffee-growing region of ACAH. According to Coffee Kids Founder and Executive Director, Bill Fishbein, "All contributions made to the Coffee Kids "Sumatra Relief Fund" are tax-deductible and 100% will be sent on to the PPKGO coffee cooperative in Aceh. Coffee Kids will not take any administration fees."  He added, "PPKGO is currently delivering food, clothing and other essentials to the many thousands of people affected in the region.  Information is limited at this time.  However, Coffee Kids will post information about the disaster relief effort on our website, www.coffeekids.org, as it becomes available."

Founded by coffee roaster Bill Fishbein in 1987, Coffee Kids is an international, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that has helped thousands of men, women, and children in Mexico and Central America to improve the quality of their lives. Bill
Fishbein was the recipient of the Specialty Coffee Association of America's 2002 Lifetime Achievement Award for his success in building more sustainable coffee communities.
-more-

In 1997, Vermont based ForesTrade, Inc. initiated a unique partnership with local coffee farmers in the Takengon Gayo Highlands of Aceh, Sumatra and a local coffee processor CV Trimaju, also located in Aceh. To begin, ForesTrade found local coffee farmers in the Takengon area, who were interested in growing organic coffee. Realizing that Fair Trade certification would ensure these farmers receive a fair price for their product, ForesTrade educated farmers about the direct benefits from Fair Trade certification, helped them organize into the PPKGO farmer cooperative and assisted the co-op in securing $100,000 in financing from the Rabobank Bank Foundation in Holland. ForesTrade also assisted CV Trimaju, helping it grow from a small local trader to a major processor in Aceh.

To date, this coffee project has grown to become the largest "single origin" Fair Trade project in the world and PPKGO's membership currently numbers 1,832 small-scale farmers among 24 communities. In a predominantly devout Muslim area, PPKGO is comprised of 20% women and maintains an ethnically diverse composition. Despite years of political unrest and civil strife in the region, the partnership has continued to produce, process and export high quality, 100% shade grown, organic and Fair Trade Sumatran coffee.  ForesTrade, Inc. is the world's largest supplier of organic tropical spices and a leader in Fair Trade coffee. Headquartered in Vermont, the company has offices in Indonesia, Guatemala, and The Netherlands.

To make a donation with your Visa or MasterCard, please go to www.coffeekids.org  and click on Sumatra Relief Fund.  If you would like to add this direct donation link to your web site the following exact code must be used. http://www.coffeekids.org/donate/index.htm?donate=sumatra.

Or, please make your check out to "Sumatra Relief Fund," and mail it to Sumatra Relief Fund, Coffee Kids 1305 Luisa Street , Suite C, Santa Fe,  NM  87505. For more

information about this project or Coffee Kids, please contact Chipper Harris at 505-820-1443 or chipper@coffeekids.org. Thank you.


Contact:
Chipper Harris
Coffee Kids
chipper@coffeekids.org
505-820-1443