Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

Coffee beans are the second largest traded commodity after oil. However, the comparison between coffee and oil stops here, as many coffee farmers live below the poverty level, even by third world country standards. One of the contributing factors to this sad fact is that often coffee trades far below the cost of production, resulting in horrific consequences on the life of the growers and their families. To raise awareness of the plight of the farmers, and to aide their situation, the fair trade movement was started in 1988. The three pillars of this initiative are: 1) A fair price. This guarantees that farmers receive a fair price, and that workers receive fair compensation for their labor. 2) Improved product Quality. By receiving a fair price, Fair Trade producers do not have to sacrifice quality over productivity. I think this is the key point, that through this initiative charity is not the purpose, but rather that we gain a viable quality product we can market. 3) Care for the environment. Most Fair Trade coffee in the US is certified organic and shade grown. This means that the products you buy maintain biodiversity, that the tree canopies provide shelter for migratory birds, and help to reduce global warming. At Moschetti, we support this vision, and contribute to it by making the ?right? choice when we select beans. We always favor organic beans when available, and support sustainable agricultural development. Furthermore at home we try to limit our company?s impact on the environment. For example, we converted our fleet of delivery vehicles to diesel in order to use biodiesel (and kiss the Saudis goodbye). We also installed an afterburner to limit emissions from our roaster. As a consumer, you have an important role to play by selecting the right coffee beans, but also by supporting your independent coffee shops and their owners, who deserve, like every member of the coffee chain, fair treatment.

Coffee of the month:

The coffee de la Asociaci?n de Mujeres Campesinas de Guayat?, Colombia or The coffee of the Association of Women coffee growers of Guayata.

When I think of Colombia, drug cartels, political violence, civil war, and extreme poverty come to mind. Oh, and more aptly, not so exiting coffee beans. But this year, my impressions changed when we received coffee from Las Mujeres de Guayata: it demonstrates hope. This coffee has unique flavors, is balanced, and has a rich layered taste with a smooth finish. And it tastes even better when you learn the story of the women behind the beans. In 1999, thirty women coffee farmers from Guayata got together to form their Association to take control of the production and sale of their wonderful coffee beans. The objective was to better their life and the life of their families by producing high quality beans, while making them more profitable through cutting out the middleman. They now export their coffee to Japan, the USA; all over the world. What a positive example in a country where women are so often oppressed. Not just a good cup of coffee but also a good deed?

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