(Wilmington, NC) October 6, 2009 – The Full Belly Project, a Wilmington based international development organization dedicated to developing simple income generating devices to improve life for the worlds poorest, has recently partnered with Wilmington’s own Port City Java®.

The partnership between The Full Belly Project and Port City Java® is being unrolled this week at Wilmington Port City Java® cafés. Customers should take note of the miniaturized versions of the award winning device called the “Universal Nut Sheller” which is on display at participating PCJ’s. The goal is to bring awareness to The Full Belly Project’s mission to improve life for farmers in developing nations.

The Universal Nut Sheller can shell a variety of crops, coffee just happens to be one of them at a rate of 125 pounds of coffee beans per hour. It can also shell a number of other crops such as peanuts, jatropha, shea and neem nuts. The Universal Nut Sheller costs about $50-75 dollars to make in a developing country, depending on the price of local materials, and can serve the needs of a village of 5,000 people. The Full Belly Project is working to link Port City Java® with organic coffee farmers in Malawi. These farmers will use the Universal Nut Sheller to remove the sun dried pulp that seals the coffee bean into a rock hard encasing.

This partnership takes the concept of Fair trade to a new level. Fair Trade is a certification for coffee producers, intended to help ensure equitable trading arrangements for disadvantaged small holders who are organized into cooperatives. Fair Trade certification is also used to promote sustainable agricultural and farm management practices without the use of agrochemicals or genetically modified organisms. With the Universal Nut Sheller, the Malawian coffee growers will be able to remove the hard outer casing and earn a higher income.

Malawi is a relatively small nation with a land area that is just shy of the size of Pennsylvania. The population has grown to 13.9 million, placing stress on the environment. Malawi is ranked as one the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural based with about 85% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for more than one-third of GDP and 90% of export revenues.

“Partnering with Port City Java® offers an incredible opportunity for The Full Belly Project to reach out to coffee farmers and make a significant economic change for the coffee farmers in Malawi. We will empower the people of Malawi, which is what real change is all about!” said Jeff Rose, Executive Director of The Full Belly Project.

To celebrate this partnership, Port City Java® will hold an annual event on or near “World Food Day” to help raise funds for The Full Belly Project. This October 19th, Port City Java® will donate 10% of the proceeds from the total café sales. The week of October 19th through the 24th is being dubbed “Full Belly Week” and customers of the locally based coffee shops will notice their friendly barista’s donning brightly colored shirts to show their support for The Full Belly Project’s Mission:

On October 24th Full Belly week will culminate into a Birthday celebration aboard the Henrietta Cruise. The Full Belly Project is celebrating their 8th year in operation here in the Port City and they invite you to come and celebrate this event with them. Tickets for the Birthday celebration are available online only at: www.fullbellyproject.org Ticket price includes Shrimp, beer, wine, and a two hour cruise along the majestic Cape Fear River.

At the event Port City Java will present a check to The Full Belly Project for the amount raised from the café’s as they observe World Food Day on Monday, October 19th.

Rose added, “We are incredibly humbled and honored to have been selected for this grant. Port City Java® is truly making it possible for The Full Belly Project to move forward with our pilot project in Malawi. What a great moment for The Full Belly Project.”

About Port City Java
Port City Java, a Wilmington-based company, features fresh-roasted coffees from all over the world, including their signature line of Fairganic® coffees, which are both Fair Trade certified and USDA certified organic. Port City Java® is dedicated to its certification and processes that benefit those that make it possible to serve our unique blend of coffee. For more information about Port City Java, visit www.portcityjava.com

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