| So much of what we love comes from distant | | | | own business, such as those strictly for women. |
| countries, harvested by people we hardly think of. | | | | Coffee producing regions are often already |
| They may endure poor working conditions, lack | | | | susceptible to poverty, disease, and lack of |
| education, even be forced into labor as children. | | | | education. These include Ethiopia, Guatemala and |
| Injury results from long hours without proper | | | | Mexico. Look at your label and see exotic names |
| sustenance or safety measures, and often no | | | | there like Indonesia, Sumatra and Peru. |
| program exists to support those who lose a limb or | | | | Consumers can force the hand of companies that |
| an eye to this low payed job. Products to watch | | | | turn a blind eye to labor practices. They can purchase |
| include coffee, chocolate and tea among many | | | | fair trade only, and turn their back on anything which |
| others. Fair trade coffee attempts to reverse this | | | | does not meet their ethical standards. They have |
| cycle of exploitation through a set of rigidly | | | | more power than they realize. |
| established regulations. | | | | This goes for coffee shops as well as supermarkets. |
| These organizations address the appalling discrepancy | | | | Expect transparency from the restaurant where you |
| between price per pound and the cost required to | | | | purchase your daily cup. If managers will not provide |
| produce beans. Without regulations, the price paid | | | | that transparency or reveal their product does not fit |
| often leaves producers and workers in continued | | | | your strict trade standards, go somewhere else. |
| poverty. No margin of profit remains to improve | | | | Write a letter explaining why the company lost your |
| working conditions or implement social infrastructure, | | | | business, and even convince your friends and family |
| such as health care and education. | | | | to do the same. The numbers may force a change. |
| Fair trade organizations do their best to put a stop to | | | | One clue to the product a shop serves comes from |
| these horrific situations. They set a minimum price for | | | | the price: cheap coffee often means low wages and |
| coffee beans, ensuring that companies receive a | | | | poor standards of living for the men, women and |
| profit for the beans they produce. Committed | | | | children who harvested your hot drink. |
| employees from fair trade organizations also go right | | | | Learn to recognize the symbol for fair trade. This |
| into farming communities to implement programs to | | | | way, easily zone in on acceptable products when |
| grow organic products or help workers establish their | | | | shopping. Searching on-line works too. |