Three cups of coffee a day...or maybe even just a cup, how can we turn this simple mundane activity into a conscious effort to make a small difference?
First of all, forget your run of the mill instant coffee. Yes, this is one instance where turning gourmet isn't just a stab at posh but an actual save-the-world activity. Give yourself a break and indulge in coffee named after far flung sexy exotic places - Peruvian, Guatemalan and java to name a few. Most gourmet coffees are fairly traded. This means the importers pay the farmers a minimum price per bag ($1.26 per pound).
Since the big gourmet coffee boom, the price of coffee plummeted down to $0.50 cents per pound pushing small farmers further into poverty. Be sure the coffee you buy is fairly traded, whether brewed in a cafe or bought off the shelves. Look for the logo
Secondly, opt for organic and "shade grown" beans. What this means is that there were no fertilizers used that can harm the soil, birds and other wildlife. Shade grown coffee as the name suggests, grow in farms that support trees. Acres of land were not shaved bald of trees or it has been (or in the process) of being reforested.
Thirdly, Starbucks has taken a lot of flack from activists in the recent years of the gourmet coffee boom. Nevermind the negativity, the good news is Starbucks now offers brewed fair traded coffee as their coffee of the week at least once a week. Let's face it, it's quick and convenient. There are at least five (5) Starbucks within a one mile radius of the city center (yes, i know what you are thinking, strategic planning is not known in these here parts). Convenience is a premium for harried people in harried cities who do not have time to travel two extra blocks to the nearest all organic, shade-grown, fairly traded mom and pop coffee shop (although, if you walk those extra blocks, think of all the fat burning and muscle toning happening, petrol saving and not to mention helping out mom and pop - hopefully they're a lovely charming couple!). So, Starbucks - order the fair trade brew of the day.
As earlier mentioned, Starbucks does give the option of fair traded coffee but not ALL of its coffee is fairly traded. If you would like to see Starbucks offer more fairly traded coffee, why not drop them a line. A wonderful site, globalexchange.com will send a fax for you for free.
Before you start throwing molotov bombs at the nearest Starbucks, check out http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/csr.asp to learn about what the company is doing to support farmers, communities and the environment. Go ahead, feel good the next time you sip that latte.
Lastly and one cannot stress this enough - Read the labels! It only takes a minute, it is so useful. Make it your new habit whether it be coffee labels, food labels, clothing etc. Just being aware and consciencious of where your purchases are coming from is very powerful. Here's what you are looking for once again, FAIR TRADED, SHADE GROWN, ORGANIC
No comments:
Post a Comment