Coffee Break

1. Buy Fair Trade coffee. That’s an obvious one, right? You had to know that would be number one on my list. It’s a relatively minor change in your life - and you get better tasting coffee out of the deal. Of course, it’s only a start toward a better planet, in part because Fair Trade itself is only a partial solution with problems of its own. But it’s a start.
2. Do a little research to find a coffee roaster who goes beyond sourcing Fair Trade coffee and trades directly with coffee farmers. That’s a lot easier than it sounds. Just do a search for “directly traded coffee” and you’ll find dozens. Coffee roasters that buy their coffee this way are PROUD of what they’re doing. They are passionate about it and will let you know on their web site - in many cases, they’ll even introduce you to the farms and farmers with whom they work on their web site. They pay at least as well for their coffee as Fair Trade would, and often are involved beyond that with their coffee producers.
3. Check around for a coffee roaster or distributor that uses their business to do good things. It’s amazing how many people in the coffee business routinely give away part of their profits to charities that help people at home and across the world. Want to do it the easy way? Paul Newman’s Own coffees are now owned by the corporation that runs The Hole in the Wall camps for children with cancer, and all net profits of the company go to help children who face life-threatening diseases get away from the medical nightmare for a while. Newman didn’t leave anything to chance. Shortly before he died, he transferred ownership to the camp organization in perpetuity so that no one in the future could change his policy of contributing every cent of profit to the children.
4. If you drink Starbucks, ask for Fair Trade coffee EVERY TIME you order coffee there. Our voices make a difference in decisions made by big corporations - and I’m a firm believer that positive voices make more of an impact than negative ones. That’s why I seldom support boycotts as a way to get business to change policy. Instead, be a positive voice - let the company know that you want more fairly traded coffee choices.
5. If you drink Tim Horton’s coffee and enjoy it, do a bit of research about the corporate policy toward Fair Trade coffee. The company claims to be pursuing economic justice for the farmers with whom it trades through a series of three year programs that encourage sustainable growing practices and diversifying crops, but their are some questions about just how sustainable the growing practices are. Coffee and Conservation has a fairly strong indictment of Tim Horton’s on its coffee blog. I’m not suggesting you stop drinking Tim Horton’s - but go ahead and sign one of the petitions asking the company to carry Fair Trade coffees.
6. If you can’t find Fair Trade coffee at your supermarket, or if they only have a very small selection, ASK THE MANAGER to stock Fair Trade coffee or a wider variety. I can tell you from experience that all it takes is two or three requests from customers to get a product on the shelves, at least on a trial basis.
7. Ask your boss at the office to order Fair Trade coffee for the break room. With so many offices now putting Keurig single serve coffee systems in their break rooms, it’s super easy - just make sure that any K-cups ordered by your office are Fair Trade certified.
8. Go on a coffee adventure for your next vacation. Are you considering a cruise or travel vacation? Take your vacation to the next level by joining an eco-tourism group heading for the coffee belt. There are many eco-tourism businesses that book tours to coffee growing areas where you may actually put your back into your commitment to a better world by helping to build a school paid for with Fair Trade premiums or dig a well in a coffee farming village.
9. Brew your coffee without electricity a few days a week. It’s a very small thing but every little bit helps.
10. Be vocal about your commitment to sustainable coffee growing and sourcing. Serve Fair Trade coffee to your friends - and tell them why. Not every time. You don’t have to be a fanatic - but every new person who understand why coffee that is fairly traded is better for the world than coffee from the Big Four coffee companies is one more person helping to make a difference in the world.

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