CoffeeNate Episode #3 : Why Fair Trade?

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Featured in this episode!

Welcome back to CoffeeNate.com!  I’m glad that you’ve stopped by to spend a few minutes watching my videos.  I’m having a great time doing this site, it’s been a blast already!  This week I am featuring one of my favorite coffee companies, Green Mountain Coffee. These guys offer a huge variety of Fair Trade and Organic coffees to choose from.  I have yet to try one that I don’t like, but I will keep searching to see if there is one.  When you go to Green Mountain Coffee you have the option of using their Café Express program, which is a membership type of purchasing.  Unlike the CD clubs and whatnot, you control what is shipped to you!  You also get a nice discount, and some bonus gifts as well.  There’s no penalty for canceling later if you wish.

There are over 2 million small scale coffee farmers that depend on the trade to provide for their family’s well being.  All too often these farmers are literally forced to sell their fine products to middle men at a huge discount, either because they are under educated, or because they are not allowed to trade as an individual.   The concept of "Fair Trade" came about to

protect the small time family coffee farmers.  Unlike many other certifications, that simply have a few minimum requirements, Fair Trade certification is on-going and a continual monitoring system.  Fair Trade groups help the local farmers to form co-ops, teach them environmentally (and coffee) friendly methods of pest control and fertilization, and educates them on growing practices that benefit the native vegetation and wildlife.  The result is a better product that produces a better wage.  There is a huge benefit to the community as well.  Fair Trade farmers and workers use their profits to invest in health care, education, and other social and business investments.  There are many Fair Trade products available; bananas, cocoa, handicrafts, and sugar to name a few.   You can learn more about Fair Trade at http://www.transfairusa.org/content/about/overview.php

In this week’s video you meet Jose, who works with an organization called ASOPRICOR.  This group is Colombian and was started in Tocoima, a small village near Bogota.  ASOPRICOR’s main objective is a total paradigm shift, from what was to what could be.  Their goal is not only to help improve the quality of life for the people of Colombia, but to understand why the situation is the way it is, and to identify where change needs to take place.  You can learn more about Jose’s organization, ASOPRICOR here.