Fair Trade News

Published November 2, 2005

Nell Newman is willowy, with prematurely white hair that falls several inches past her slender shoulders. The resemblance to her famed parents isn't immediately discernible, but the more she smiles and talks, the more you see the Joanne Woodward-Paul Newman connection.

Although the mission that has brought her to Denver for a day might be timely no matter whose offspring she is, there's no getting around the fact that she is a famous daughter. When she speaks of her commitment to socially conscious concerns, you hear the voice of her mother, Joanne Woodward. When she smiles you see the quiet intensity of her no-nonsense father, Paul Newman.

In short order it becomes apparent the life lessons taught on a Connecticut farm, far from showbiz glitz and goofiness, has stood Nell Newman, president of Newman's Own Organics, in good stead.

Initially, her father wasn't sure investing in organics was the best idea, but he gave her a start and let her fly, making it clear that he expected to be repaid. To allay his skepticism, she prepared an all-organic meal.

"Daddy was like a lot of people who kind of turn their noses up when you say the word 'organic,"' she says. "But that Thanksgiving dinner was a turning point. I mean, he ate. It was so funny. Everyone was in on it but him. He had seconds and wiped his plate clean. 'So, how'd you like your organic dinner, Dad?' I asked. He looked at me smiled that smile and said, 'Well, OK. You made your point."'

That was 12 years ago. Thus was the second generation of Newman products born. Nell Newman, 46, started Newman's Own Organics in 1993 to promote organic foods and free-trade products.

She sits poised at a table just to the right of the entrance to the Glendale Wild Oats store on South Colorado Boulevard signing her new book, "Guide to a Good Life," and introducing shoppers to Newman's Own Fair Trade coffee, the latest in a line of products to hit grocery shelves under the Newman imprimatur.

Several people stop, partly to see her, and partly to express support for her mission. Bob Elisha of Englewood is one of them.

"I'm a fan of (Newman) products and have been for a while," he says. "I've also been buying fair-trade coffee online because that was the only way I knew to get it. I'm glad to know it will be at Wild Oats now. It's more accessible."

Pharmacy student Judy Wilder admits to being lured to the store by the celebrity aspect of Newman's appearance, but she has another reason too.

"We've been buying Newman's Own products since they started, and I like the idea that they want to contribute to the betterment of society. So if buying two bags of coffee helps, I'm all for it," she says.

Shoppers who buy two bags of fair-trade coffee receive a copy of "Guide to a Good Life." As with the other Newman's Own products, proceeds after taxes go to educational and charitable nonprofits. Money earned from Newman's Own Organic has funded organic agriculture research, wildlife preservation, medical research and affordable housing, among other causes .

Newman's Own Organics has partnered with the coffee roasters of Green Mountain Organics. As visitors pass by, she tells them of her recent visit to Guatemala to meet the coffee farmers who are benefiting from fair trade practices.

"It's so gratifying to see people face to face who get to meet the people who are giving them a fair price for their work. They can now provide medical support for their kids, give them better education and in general have a better standard of living. God knows they deserve it," she says. "I don't think people realize how farmers pick these (coffee) beans one at a time, taking only the reddest of them. They have to know which ones to take and which ones to leave at a glance. It's arduous work."

"After oil, coffee is the second-largest traded commodity in the world," says Newman quietly. "Trading prices fluctuate all over the place, so farmers never know how much they'll be paid for their beans. When coffee prices fall below production costs, farmers are often forced off their land and they lose their homes, everything. With fair trade, farmers get a fair price for their harvest with a guaranteed minimum, so they can invest in their crops."

Fair-trade coffees - and increasingly, bananas, mangoes, cocoa and tea - are produced by cooperatives run by small family farmers. Members arrive at decisions through an agreed-upon democratic process, and the products are certified "fair trade," much like organics.

Newman now lives in Santa Cruz, Calif., on a small property and when she's not spreading the gospel of fair trade, she enjoys life among her apple trees, garden and six chickens. She and her new husband will take some downtime for a honeymoon in New Zealand shortly after her return home.
Occasionally a stifled yawn or a little stretch suggests that the wearying multi-stop, multicity tour is taking its toll, but she soldiers on, cordial and gracious to the steady stream of greeters and autograph seekers.

"If I weren't doing this I'd probably be living in a yurt somewhere," she says, suddenly reinvigorated. "I grew up shopping from farm stands. Dad taught me how to smell a good cantaloupe and thump a watermelon for ripeness. My mother is an excellent cook. I knew about good food because we fished together and ate what we caught. We made applesauce from two old apple trees in the yard. Now I grow my own blueberries, tomatoes and lettuces.

"People want to know more about the food they eat, not just how many calories something has. It's becoming more important to understand how ingredients are grown and processed on the way to the grocer's shelf.

"I keep trying not to think about the fact that in doing this 12-day trip I'll miss the last of my Sun Gold tomatoes."

Staff writer Ellen Sweets can be reached at 303-820-1284 or esweets@denverpost.com.