Nothing defines my morning more than that first whiff of coffee beckoning me to come drink in its warm pleasures. Apparently I am not alone, as North Americans are the largest consumers in the world of this highly addictive bean drink. Think coffee is big business? Well keep this perspective; coffee is one of the most traded commodities in the world, second only to our other addiction; oil.
Rarely do I stop and think about where the coffee I am drinking originated. It has become so ingrained in my culture that my thoughts never tarry from wether it is Starbucks or Timmies while on the road, and my taste buds in cahoots with my budget dictate what I drink at home. I see the value in both fair trade and organics but have never been so stirred to support these movements until I made the real life connection with the people I am affecting with every dollar I spend.
I recently watched a documentary called "Black Gold - About Coffee". This movie really highlights the plight of the Ethiopian coffee farmers and one man ,Tedesse Maskela who is campaigning the world to get a fair wage for his people. The movie takes us to the floor of the NYSE where we see first hand how cheap coffee gets snapped up by coffee giants who then in turn make phenomenal profits. These large corporations of course only see the success of their business in terms of profit. It is the name of the game right? Well yes, and this profit comes at great cost to human life on the other side of the globe.
Now I know this is also an issue in South American nations and some asian countries who produce coffee as well. What really struck me about the Ethiopian farmers though and this seems to be true for all of Africa, is that somehow life is cheap there. Corporations of many avenues of business have exploited these people to the point of complete impoverishment all for the sake of growing their own business.
The interesting thing about Ethiopian coffee(the birthplace of coffee) is that it has been rated as one of the most superior tasting beans produced in the world. Coffee aficionados and companies with high standards such as illy coffee seek out Ethiopian Arabica beans for taste but are finding it more difficult to purchase because these farmers who are being forced to sell their beans below cost in order to compete are going bankrupt and most are chopping down their plantations to make room for a more profitable street narcotic .
The moment that my heart was most deeply affected by this story came in two parts; first an interview with an Ethiopian coffee grower who explained that a fair price would not mean he could go on a nice vacation, buy a new suit or a piece of furniture. Rather a fair price would mean his family might not starve to death and maybe even down the road if the fair price were sustained they could build schools and hospitals for their communities.
The second part that affected me was as I was explaining this political situation to my husband, my four year old interjected: "But mommy, Jesus tells us to love our neighbours as ourselves." I would not work for less than 50 cents a day which is not enough to support human life here or in Africa. Love my neighbours indeed.
Supporting Fair Trade coffee ensures that the farmers are getting a fair price that allows them to survive, supports community efforts to build schools,clinics and environmental stewardship. What are you brewing in your offices, churches, schools and kitchens? Have you stopped to think what the real price is of your coffee?
