News & Events

July

Investing in the African Agricultural Sector

Brief description

TAN July 2011 networking event will focus on the Agricultural sector in Africa. More specifically, TAN will be discussing entrepreneurial opportunities and the need to invest in organizations that are helping this sector of the African economy.

The international Coffee Organization and the African Development Bank Group estimate that coffee production in Africa will contribute significantly to the continent's GDP in 2011 -2012. TAN is inviting a partner organization, Fair Trade USA, to discuss the importance of coffee production in Africa. Fair Trade USA (http://www.fairtradeusa.org/) is a 501C3 non-profit organization that is geared towards making social change around the world, more specifically Asia and Africa. Fair Trade has ongoing coffee projects in Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda as well as projects in Tanzania, Congo (along Rwandan border), Kenya and Malawi.

We will be joined by Heather Franzese, Senior Manager, Apparel & Linens, and Ben Schmerler, Manager, Coffee Category & Producer Services of Fair Trade USA. They will discuss funding their organization's projects to help implement key certification, capacity building and technical assistance programs in the African countries mentioned above, that will have an overall impact in helping small-holder farmers achieve a sustainable economic livelihood and alleviate rural poverty. Please see their bios below.

• Heather Franzese, Senior Manager, Apparel & Linens

Heather Franzese just launched Fair Trade USA’s Fair Trade Certified™ Apparel & Linens program in the US. This new certification offers US consumers, for the first time, a way to vote with their dollars for an alternative to sweatshops. Heather brings together apparel industry experience managing Corporate Social Responsibility for Columbia Sportswear Company, a track record of raising $4 million for Fair Trade certification, and field experience working with small-scale farmers in Peace Corps in Mali, Africa. She holds an MPP in Political and Economic Development from Harvard Kennedy School.

• Ben Schmerler, Manager, Coffee Category & Producer Services

Ben Schmerler is Producer Services Manager, specializing in supply chain development, for Fair Trade USA.  Ben has managed capacity building and producer market support programs in countries including Rwanda, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Tanzania.  His current work is with Kenyan coffee grower cooperatives to improve their business management, self-governance, and accounting skills. Ben is fluent in French and Spanish and conversational in Wolof and Kinyarwanda. 

• Date: Wednesday, July 27, 2011
  
  
• Time: 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
  
  
• Venue: Fenwick and West LLP, 801 California Street, Mountain View, CA 94041 US
  
  

Please RSVP here.