Coming Soon

CAN is hosting and sponsoring the 6th Annual International Shortcourse on Agroecology in Santa Cruz, CA from July 10th to 23rd. For more info go to http://www.agroecology.org/shortcourse.htm

Recent Actions

In the past few months the CAN network has grown tremendously. Recent accomplishments include:

• Successfully getting CAN fair trade direct coffee served in the five UCSC Dining Halls
• Sending over $29,000 to the Coopabuena co-op in Costa Rica from coffee sales and ecotourism, between 3/03 and 5/04

Links about CAN Re-linking farmers and consumers: A successful coffee story on CropChoice.com New UCSC Research Center Factors Human Needs into Environmental Solutions in the 2003 UCSC Winter Review

• Establishing new internship programs in El Salvador and Nicaragua and sending the first interns to those CAN communities
• Hiring Julieta Mendez as the Programa Pueblos Internship Coordinator in her hometown of Aguabuena, Costa Rica
• Co-sponsoring the first United Students for Fair Trade Convergence Conference (2/04)
• Continuing improvement of sustainable agricultural development internships at UC Santa Cruz and Coto Brus, Costa Rica
• Importing our first shipment of unroasted coffee beans from Tacuba, El Salvador
• Engaging in farmer to farmer exchanges between Nicaragua and El Salvador.

Looking Ahead

farmers in Tacuba, El Salvador participate in a training to learn about organic certification.

As a developing non-profit, CAN is always looking for ways to expand our grassroots network. Our future plans include:

• Disseminating our model for marketing and internships to other universities
• Working to enhance our collaboration with other organizations and securing funds to support our volunteer efforts
• Seeking to expand our market for CAN coffee to religious organizations, community groups, school faculty offices, coffee shops and other businesses
• Solidifying an emerging internship program in CAN's Huatusco, Mexico community
• Promoting more research and farmer excFanges among CAN communities