A life that's far from the daily grind viewed by Paul Rice, head of Fair Trade USA

After years of living in the mountains of northern Nicaragua as an agricultural aid worker trying to make life better for the country's poor farmers, Paul Rice woke up and smelled the coffee -- fair-trade coffee that is.

That was 12 years ago. Today, Rice heads Fair Trade USA, an Oakland-based nonprofit that is the country's leading certifier of fair-trade products.

Fair trade ensures that farmers are provided with a livable wage and premiums that help fund community projects such as schools and clean water systems.



Original source: Contra Costa Times