November 5, 2009
Desjardins Sets the Wheels of Inter-cooperation and Fair-trade Business in Motion
Montréal (Québec), November 5, 2009 – Desjardins Group is pleased to announce that a significant proportion of the coffee consumed by its employees will now come from a Mexican cooperative supported by Développement international Desjardins (DID).
The announcement was made this morning at the Caisse d’économie solidaire Desjardins during a breakfast meeting called to underline this major step toward responsible consumption. The occasion brought together people from Desjardins Group and from the Québec fair-trade business world.
Pauline D'Amboise, Desjardins Group Secretary General and Vice-President Cooperative Support, pointed to the fact that once again, Desjardins is ahead of the pack in terms of responsible consumption in Québec. “This wonderful accomplishment fits in perfectly with the Change the World, One Step at a Time campaign that we are collaborating on with Équiterre.” Ms. D'Amboise also pointed out that the move toward fair-trade coffee by Desjardins with the support of its employees represents about 500,000 cups of coffee annually.
This accomplishment is the result of true teamwork between producers in the South and consumers in the North. In the South, DID has been working with the SERFIR financial cooperative in Chiapas for several years to better understand and support development of fair-trade programs. Together, the organizations developed and launched a pre-export financing service for producers such as UDEPOM, a coffee cooperative and member of SERFIR.
Meanwhile, in the North, Desjardins Group took care of making sure all of its coffee vending machines would now contain fair-trade coffee. Desjardins has also introduced the option of fair-trade organic coffee from UDEPOM.
Anne Gaboury, Vice-President Développement international Desjardins, is very pleased that this collaboration could take place. "Our consumption of UDEPOM coffee at Desjardins is a concrete example of the fair-trade concept, the goal of which is to bring producers and consumers closer together. This partnership reveals the whole hidden human facet of this beverage we drink every day without a second thought about where it comes from."
Laure Waridel, spokesperson for Caisse d’économie solidaire Desjardins and cofounder of Équiterre, was also in attendance and tipped her hat to this Desjardins initiative. Caisse d’économie solidaire Desjardins finances, among other things, several importers and distributors as well as organizations that promote fair-trade business awareness.
About Desjardins Group
Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in Canada, and the ninth largest in the world, with overall assets of approximately $160 billion. Drawing on the strength of its caisse network in Québec and Ontario, as well as its subsidiaries, several of which are active throughout Canada, Desjardins offers a full range of financial products and services to its 5.8 million individual and business members and clients. Desjardins Group is also home to a wealth of expertise in property and casualty insurance, life and health insurance, wealth management, services for businesses of all sizes, securities brokerage, venture capital, asset management and secure leading-edge virtual access methods, all part of an integrated offer that is the only one of its kind in Canada. One of the largest employers in the country, Desjardins is backed by the knowledge and skills of its 42,000 employees and the commitment of its 6,300 elected officers. To find out more, consult www.desjardins.com.
About DID
Développement international Desjardins (DID) is a component of the Desjardins Group and has been providing support for the creation, development and strengthening of financial institutions for nearly 40 years. DID is currently active in twenty countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe. DID, which specializes in providing technical support and investment for community finance, draws on the rich and diverse experience acquired through collaboration with numerous partners, and on the over 100 years of experience of the Desjardins Group, the largest cooperative financial group in Canada. DID works in partnership with the Canadian International Development Agency, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and many other multilateral organizations.
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For more information:
France Michaud
Communications Supervisor
Développement international Desjardins (DID)
(418) 835-2401, ext. 6026
fmichaud@did.qc.ca
www.did.qc.ca
