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TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

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The local franchisee of the Tim Hortons chain is excited about a program that helps coffee farmers in South America and Central America improve their product and the way they do business.

"The Tim Hortons Coffee Partnership Program is a way of giving back to the coffee growing community," Craig O'Neill said yesterday.

"It really helps farmers and is like teaching a man to fish as opposed to fishing for him."

Corey Craig Enterprises operates 33 Tim Hortons outlets in Metro Moncton and the surrounding area and will soon open another location in Petitcodiac.

The Tim Hortons Coffee Partnership funds projects that encourage farmers to improve farming practices to produce higher quality coffee more efficiently, giving them more control and options for their crop.

As a result of the project, local growers are now producing a better grade of coffee and improved yields. This allows them to invest back into their business in areas such as improved fertilization and the creation of drying patios and improved buying stations. Local farmers are selling coffee in a more finished form, and the improved quality of the coffee is being recognized by buyers, allowing for more consistent and better pricing.

O'Neill said the program helps build schools for communities where they are lacking. The program has also donated books and built labs in schools. It helps farmers learn more about investing back into their own business, touching on everything from bookkeeping to planting more trees.

He said this program is different than the fair trade programs that some other large coffee chains participate in, but Tim Hortons feels this program best fit its corporate plan.