Why? I am a self confessed coffaholic and would like to know that my cup of coffee is helping and not harming my effort for a more sustainable World. It all started with a goat-herder from Ethiopia, who one day noticed his goats dancing on their hind legs after eating some red berries which were growing on low bushes in the countryside... and viola, the coffee industry was founded.
A
couple hundred years later, and we have a billion dollar industry,
second biggest after oil, dedicated to those red berries. Growing,
harvesting, exporting, importing, roasting, flat white, tall black,
skinny lattes, espressos, all available to-go.As if we not overwhelmed by choice of how to have our morning brew, we have to consider if our brew is "Fairtrade"certified and earth friendly or not. And do you really want to enjoy that perfect cuppa if its from a farm in Ethiopian where the farmers are paid less than a 3c for your cuppa. Simply knowing that your certified Fairtrade cup of coffee can help farmers escape poverty must add some value to paying a fair price for a everyday luxuries such as a cuppa coffee.
"For every cup of coffee you buy for $3, a farmer earns 3c"
Buying organic food might be good for the environment, but the organic label is no guarantee that it’s good for the people who produce it. Luckily this is where the "Fairtrade" label comes in, which guarantees that the farmers producing the crop pay a fair wage to their laborers and promote economic self-sufficiency.
What about the environment? Do you ever consider that your Coffee often
takes a high toll on the environment, as virgin forests are cleared away
to make way for new coffee plantations.Not to talk about the waste of take away coffee's around the World.
Using non-eco cups raises the Question : Why bother ordering a cup of certified "Fairtrade" or Organic coffee if it comes in a cup that's coated with chemicals and will not breakdown or cannot be recycled.
Opening your mind up and becoming aware of buying "Fairtrade" coffee in a eco friendly take away cup, in my opinion, is a great way to harnesess the power that you have over the coffee trade to help alleviate poverty, waste generated and force a significant global change socially and environmentally.
By making small, simple changes to your everyday purchasing habits, such as choosing a cup of "Fairtrade" coffee in a eco friendly take away cup, you are able to vote with your Rand for a better World.
Some Coffee Facts
Coffee grows in more than 50 countries around the world and employs over 25 million coffee growers.
Coffee is the largest trading commodity in the world after oil, generating annual sales in excess of $80 billion dollars per year.
Coffee is the most popular drink worldwide.
Globally, about 2 billion cups of coffee are drunk every day.
It takes fifty coffee beans to brew an espresso and each coffee bean has to be individually hand picked.
Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and is known for producing some of the best high grade quality coffee in the world.
Today, 15 million people in Ethiopia depend on coffee for their survival. It accounts for 67% of the country’s foreign export income.
An average coffee farmer receives less than 3 US cents for a $3 cup of coffee.
http://fairtradeusa.org
http://blackgoldmovie.com
Article by Natashia Fox
21 June 2012
www.greenlifestore.co.za | www.vegware.co.za
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