Late this afternoon my son and I were traveling around the neighborhood. We stopped in at the Birchwood Cafe, which is normally closed by early afternoon. However, they celebrated their 11th anniversary this weekend, so we were able to stop in for some goodies.
Peace Coffee was preparing French presses. I love those and had a small cup. They had a few handouts, including one for a documentary called Black Gold.
From their Story page:
"Multinational coffee companies now rule our shopping malls and supermarkets and dominate the industry worth over $80 billion, making coffee the most valuable trading commodity in the world after oil.
But while we continue to pay for our lattes and cappuccinos, the price paid to coffee farmers remains so low that many have been forced to abandon their coffee fields."
I believe that globalism and trade are forces that can act for good. (See my earlier post about Thomas Friedman's book, The World is Flat.) One essential part of that is fair trade. I appreciate that I can get coffee from all over the world, but I demand that the people who pick it make a good wage for their efforts.
As part of a global community, we can effect the shape of our world by the purchases we make. If economic justice is already an important value to you, look for and purchase products that reflect your values. If this is not something you have thought much about, please take a few minutes to read more by clicking on the links I included here.
Tags: coffee, fair trade, globalism, economic justice, Twin Cities
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