I am sitting in the Burlington airport. Out the window to my right I can see the Green Mountains in the distance. To my left is a kiosk, selling
Green Mountain Coffee, a staple in Vermont.
OK, so I don't actually like the taste of coffee, and I RARELY drink it. I'm not sipping on it now, but I did stumble upon
this article from the New York Times about how coffee certifications are improving the lives of coffee workers and preserving the wildlife in the areas in which the coffee is farmed. The goal of Green Mountain Coffee is "to create truly inspired coffee that's environmentally sound, socially just, and undeniably delicious." Starbucks also issues a certification that requires, above all, high quality coffee and includes measures of social responsibility and environmental leadership. It is interesting to think about how certifications, such as the one issued by Starbucks, is improving the way the coffee industry operates and paving the way for a better world.
Maybe the taste of coffee will grow on me. When it does, I know that I can make a conscious choice to buy good coffee that is improving the lives of the workers that make it and the environment in which it is grown. It makes me wonder, in what other ways can my consumer decisions affect a better world?
I'm not much of a coffee drinker either but I have the same sentiments about the choices we make in our roles a consumers. Its interesting, isn't it? That one article can change perceptions of life and interaction.
ReplyDeleteI know that there are a bunch of sites, like Nova, that offer hand-made clothing, jewelry, and a bunch of other stuff fair trade. Fair trade is an excellent way to contribute directly to people who need the income without cheating them or adding to the domination of larger companies.
Also, when it comes to purchasing food, my family likes to purposely go to farmers markets and buy locally when we can. The food/produce is always great and we directly help put money back into our community.
I am a big coffee drinker but I am not very picky on the coffee I actually consume. But your article reminded me of a tv program that I watched recently on the 'art' of finding the perfect coffee bean. It is quite a process but it specifically highlighted the truly complicated and many sacrifices necessary to develop a successful coffee bean farm. In this case the man traveled deep into the Brazilian rain forest to a family that lived on a platform of wood with a thatch roof, no running water and a meager food supply. The funding that the coffee shop would provide to this singular coffee farm would allow them to improve their standards, but they were so far in the middle of nowhere that it would truly be impossible to build a normal home. The point I am making is I think we forget where the hard work is invested, the depths these people go to to try and find a better life, yet their better life could nearly be equated to the life of a person living in severe poverty in the United States. I think that is what makes this article so important, and the movement to ensure Fair Trade products so much more important as well. If it is necessary to go to such extreme depths to ensure that we recieve the highest quality coffee bean, then it needs to be made essential that these companies are respected rather than taken advantage of. I love how such a small article can have such a deep impact- thanks for the post :)!
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