Monday, June 13, 2005


doing good one cup at a time

"my message is that fair-trade certified® coffee tastes great, and supports good things at home and abroad. supporting and drinking fair-trade certified® coffee is a small thing, adding about 1-1/2¢ to the cost of a US$3.50 latte. it is a painless way for new yorkers to help save the world one cup at a time."

so testified renowned coffeeman don schoenholt of gillies last week before the ny city council on its resolution that the city begin to buy and use exclusively fair-trade coffee.

long-time readers know that i have mixed feelings about fair trade in its current implementations, not the least of which is the paperwork burden it places on farmers and smallish co-ops, many of whom we have to remember are barely literate peasants who basically grow their beautiful coffees on small -- almost garden-type -- plots in the distant misty mountains.

filling out long forms in triplicate isn't really going to work for them, you know? the whole process has to be more inclusive and farmer-friendly, to my little mind.

but that aside, fair trade is clearly part of the solution to the continuing coffee crisis. i'm also including this testimony simply because when don talks about coffee, it always becomes sheer poetry, a pleasure to read and hear.

coffee is the most romantic and intellectual beverage, as i'm wont to say. . .

but speaking of the coffee crisis and ways to alleviate it, have you all seen the great new coffee kids t-shirts yet? must-haves for the concerned coffee lover!

posted by fortune | 6:48 AM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments