Thinking Globally Acting Locally
I'm up, Ms J. I've showered and had my breakfast. I'm enjoying my second cup of coffee. I've been drinking store-bought coffee from a coffee maker for a couple of years now. I drank the instant stuff when I first lived on my own, but a friend, Bob King, gave me a coffee maker so I've been buying ground coffee. Folger's. Maxwell House. Whatever's on sale at No Frills.
But I've been thinking about "Fair Trade" coffee. Fair Trade coffee is coffee that's bought at prices that are fair to the producer. World coffee prices have plummeted and are currently the lowest they've been in decades. We consumers continue to pay full price, while the farmers receive a pittance. Many small coffee farmers in Central America receive prices for their coffee that are less than the costs of production, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debt.
Who gets all the profits, you ask? Folger's. Maxwell House. Whatever's on sale at No Frills. Or Tesco's. Or Safeway.
When my tin of Nabob is empty, I think I'll visit David and Madeleine at Birds and Beans, a local cafe that sells only fair trade coffee. And I'm going to tell the folks at church about it as well and suggest we start buying fair trade coffee for ourselves and the church.
I'm sure it'll be a little more expensive, Ms J, but why should I support corporations who favour profits over human rights? I mean, it's all about social justice, isn't it? And environmental sustainability.
It all starts with me, doesn't it? Right here in Mimico.
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Mused by Dale @ 8:10 am
At 9 July 2006 at 19:33, 
Michelle said...
At 9 July 2006 at 20:41, Anvilcloud said...
At 10 July 2006 at 08:53, Loner said...
At 11 July 2006 at 09:30, Heather Plett said...
At 12 July 2006 at 14:05, Linda said...
5 Comments:
Coffee is something i am willing to pay more for than many other items, mainly because i don't drink much wine etc, so i figure why not splurge on decent coffee.
Coffee prices here are extraordinarly high. A few years back, coffee prices went through the roof, and i believe the supermarkets have capitalised on it ever since. Just like the petrol stations are capatalising on the price of petrol. Yesterday whilst driving into town, i saw petrol as low as $1.20, and as high as $1.38! ( a litre) Considering you're really only half an hour from anywhere in this fair city, i find that insane!
That's a good idea, Dale. We don't buy cheap; we buy Tim's (we brew it here -- most of the time). Maybe when we should switch too. It will take a little organization and planning out here in the boonies though.
I get Newman's Own brand - which is fair trade coffee that is also organic. About $6 per pound - which is what the flavored bagged stuff costs at the store anyway. I think if you can do something - even if it is a little thing to make the world a better place, then why not.
Good choice, I'd say. :-)
I purchase only fair trade coffee and at church, that's all we serve too. It's really good coffee too! You're right Dale. It all starts with "me."
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