Keep Organic Coffee Alive...Sign the Petition

Last month the USDA ruled that they were going to tighten organic certification requirements. Sounds good in theory, but the reality of it means that small, poor farmers who have worked extremely hard to reach organic certification standards will have to shell out even more money--money they don't have which according to Kimberly Easson, director of strategic relationships for TransFair USA,: "This ruling could wipe out the organic coffee market in the U.S."

Sign the "Save Organic Coffee" Petition.

Please send this link and forward it on to your friends!!

You can read more on the organic coffee ruling here. Also, inform yourself on why choosing organic coffee is so important.

How to GREEN your cup

I read this blog this morning at Bloggle.com and I thought I'd pass on the author's advice and helpful info!

It’s Earth Day…

In the face of the now very real threat of global climate change, this year’s recognition of Earth Day carries with it a certain sense of urgency. It’s time to change some habits. Permanently. The good news? Greening up your coffee cup doesn’t mean sacrificing the quality of your coffee! Here’s some tips to get you started…

• Enough of the paper filters, already. If you enjoy your coffee in a press pot, good on you, you’re already there. But if you’re making a drip cup, consider some alternatives to your paper coffee filters. The gold standard of reusable drip filters are made by SwissGold, and they have a product line that covers most every filter basket style — from Mr. Coffee to Bunn to Melitta-styled cone filters — used in auto-drip machines today.
  


• Enough of the bottled water, too. I’ve written quite a lot about the importance of good water for good coffee. So by all means, use great water, but make it great yourself. Start with water from your own tap and filter it with any number of great filtration products (I like Brita, and PUR.) You’ll save oodles of money, and save oodles of carbon emissions from all the shipping that bottled water requires.
  


• Heat your water on-demand. Long-time readers will know that I’ve proclaimed my love for Bunn coffee makers in the past… but I have to tell you, that relationship is over. Home coffee makers that keep water hot 24 hours are energy hogs, pure and simple. Instead, use a water kettle to boil up only exactly as much water as you need. Chances are it’ll take no more time than your Bunn ever did.
  


• Take your mug on the road. If you’re heading to your local coffee house, take your mug with you! There’s thermal travel mugs and tumblers of every sort to make sure you don’t spill a drop on your commute, and chances are your coffee shop will thank you! (One of a coffee shop’s biggest costs is paper, and the lion’s share of that is paper cups.)
  


• Choose Fair Trade Certified™ and Organic coffee. Yes, you really can make a difference by choosing coffee with eco-friendly bona fides. And you have been! Sales of Fair Trade coffee rose ten-fold between 2000 and 2005, and Fair Trade and Organic coffee sales are right now seeing accelerating double-digit growth. Keep it up! These coffees are ecologically sound, sustainable, and make for safer, healthier coffee-growing communities.

Shocked and Appalled

I'm completely dumbfounded. I don't get it. One would assume that if you're going to open a coffee shop, you'd know a little about coffee...at the very least you would drink it every now and then right? To my utter dismay, while doing research on local San Diego coffee shops, I came across an owner who had no idea if her coffee was organic or fair trade (or what fair trade really meant). In a previous post, "The Uneducation of Coffee Baristas" I wrote about how many baristas today have very little to no knowledge about the term fair trade. But an owner? She went on to say she didn't even like coffee! She bought her coffee from three different local roasters--I asked her if anyone services her equipment and she said she had no idea! How do you run a business and know nothing about your product?

This was definitely the exception, for the most part the owners I've spoken with have been knowledgeable and friendly. So please people, for the love of coffee, support your local coffee shops that offer fair trade coffees, and at the one's that don't--keep asking for fair trade, keep getting the funny looks from baristas, and soon enough they'll catch on.

Fair Trade...beyond our own cup

So what does buying Fair Trade products really mean?

According to Paul Rice, CEO of TransFair USA, "It basically links consumers, you and me, to third-world families, and through more direct trade helps those families get a fair price for their coffee, their tea, their bananas, whatever it is they produce."

What's in it for me? Why is buying fair trade items worth it?

Rice continues, "Well, it just so happens that there's a direct correlation between the quality of a cup of coffee, or the quality of a banana, or some other piece of fruit, and the amount of money that the farmer actually gets paid for that harvest. As you might guess, if prices are low, farmers have to cut corners on quality. If farmers, on the other hand, get a decent price, then they can invest more in the quality of the final product."

So, there's actually an alignment of interest there between your and my desires as consumers for higher quality products, and the return to the grower. Fair Trade is all about ensuring that that grower gets a fair price. Not only to produce high-quality products, but also to keep their kids in school, to put food on the table, to protect the land, and to protect the forests around the farms.
That, I would argue, is the other big benefit for consumers of Fair Trade. One is being able to get a high-quality product, and two is to know when you buy a Fair Trade product that you're also helping other families around the world. Helping families keep their kids in school, helping them farm in a sustainable manner."

"Organic" marketing leaves bitter taste

Organic and fair trade products are becoming more and more popular among consumers and many companies are jumping on the "sustainable bandwagon." I have an inner conflict with the present situation...organic and fair trade products are good and the more people buying these products the better, but major companies who have no previous concern or care about sustainability who are suddenly promoting these types of products purely for profit kinda bugs me. Especially when there are smaller businesses where sustainability is part of their mission and vision statements.

For example, Proctor & Gamble just came out with a grocery store line of organic coffee by Millstone. The reviews were...well terrible. Here is a sampling :

"...it tasted like coffee that was too weak made in a dirty pot"

"It was a surprise to us all that such a strong, dark and assertive-looking brew could taste so flat, insipid and lifeless. It left an odd coating on the tongue."

"..it reminded me of a hot puddle of seawater sitting on a pair of discarded rubber waders on a crab-fishing boat. "

Furthermore, when Proctor & Gamble was questioned about the origins and quality of the coffee, they strategically half answered and skirted around the questions.

My point is that when you purchase coffee that is mass produced by a company that really doesn't know much about sustainability, taste and quality is always going to be sacrificed. Just because something has pretty packaging and eco friendly words does not mean its legit--Thanks P&G for leaving a bitter taste in people's mouths.

Ethiopia Vs. Starbucks Debate Continues...

Starbucks had record revenue of $7.8 billion last year, yet continues to battle Ethiopia, one of the poorest developed countries in the world for trademark rights. According to calculations by Oxfam, which has taken up Ethiopia's cause, if trademarking pushed prices of specialty coffee up 80 cents a pound, Ethiopia would stand to gain $88 million a year...it seems to me $88 million could help this poor country quite dramatically. Hmmm...maybe $7.8 billion isn't quite enough to stuff the pockets of upper management.

An article in Fortune Magazine covers the latest on this debate.

Starbucks Dissapoints....AGAIN

At the United Students For Fair Trade convergence held last week in Boston, a Starbucks representative surprisingly attended and admitted that SBUX is not interested in drastically increasing their Fair Trade coffee saying that “we will never be 100%”. In fact, she said they would not even commit to 5% at this time. I think the average consumer is easily duped into thinking that SBUX is greatly involved in Fair Trade practices due to their manipulative marketing, but here you have it--straight from the source about their ideas regarding Fair Trade. She also revealed that SBUX does not publish their contracts and other data because consumers find them to be "very confusing." This is in my opinion is hogwash. Most of the sustainable coffee companies will gladly share with consumers the paper trails of exactly where each dollar and cent is allocated...in fact many companies publish it on their websites!

You can read more about the USFT convergence on the Just Coffee website.

Pour Me Another! The Health Benefits of Coffee

As a coffee advocate, I often find myself defending the benefits of this precious drink to coffee naysayers. My degree is in nutrition so I have a natural interest in perusing the latest articles and research concerning food and health--and although there is always conflicting ideas on almost every topic that can be written about, there is overwhelming evidence that in moderation, coffee offers numerous health benefits. According to findings in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, The American Medical Association and reports published from Harvard Medical School coffee is associated with the following benefits:

• Lowers the risk for type 2 diabetes


• Reduces the risk of developing gallstones


• Reduces the risk of developing Parkinson's Disease


• Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer


• Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease


• Improves endurance and performance


• Helps people stay more alert


• Helps treat asthma and headaches

In another study, researchers found that a typical serving of coffee contains more antioxidants than typical servings of grape juice, blueberries, raspberries and oranges.

"Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful," says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own medical research and tracks coffee studies from around the world. "For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good."

So there you have it folks, go ahead and pour yourself another! Cheers to good health!

Christianity and Ethical Consumerism

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;

maintain the rights for the poor and oppressed. " -Psalm 82:3

"If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,

he too will cry out and not be answered." -Prov. 21:13

"Do not exploit the poor because they are poor

and do not crush the needy in court,

for the Lord will take up their case

and will plunder those who plunder them. " -Prov. 22:22-23

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,

for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly;

defend the rights of the poor and needy." -Prov. 31:8-9

Education and awareness are the only ways to bring about justice to the social atrocities that plague our world. God calls Christians to not turn a blind eye to the injustices of the poor and needy--yet in many ways we unknowingly promote it by the choices we make in our daily lives.

Let me use coffee as an example--not because I'm insanely passionate about coffee, rather, coffee is the 2nd largest traded commodity in the world and by simply choosing a coffee product that is produced by a socially responsible company, we can have a significant effect on the economies and livelihoods of these poor farming countries.

The fact that many of us know this, yet still choose otherwise I believe is directly ignoring God's word. If people are uneducated/unaware, they have an excuse, but if we know that the $6.00 cup of coffee we are lackadaisically enjoying came from the hands of a poor, uneducated farmer who pulled his 8 year old son out of school or the chocolate candy bar we consume came from the hands of a 7 year old child slave, shouldn't we chose differently? What has to happen before we become advocates of ethical consumerism?

Learn more about how you can support the cause by shopping here.

Chocolate...Not So Sweet?

There was a news article I read today that caught my attention; it was about a man who asked the court to convict him for eating chocolate--he is seeking a jail sentence to raise consumer awareness about child slavery and to force the chocolate/cocoa industry to take tougher measures to get rid of child labor.

Apparently there are hundreds of thousands of child laborers who work in hazardous conditions and pick the cocoa on these farms mostly on the Ivory Coast--many arrived in their situation as a result of child trafficking.

The US chocolate industry agreed to take voluntary steps to end child slavery on cocoa farms by July of 2005--that deadline has long since passed and the chocolate industry has failed to fulfill this promise.

So how can you help? Buy fairly traded chocolate here. Or, if you're still looking for your Valentine chocolates, check out your local Henry's Market or Whole Foods-- just look for the Fair Trade Label.

Fair what? The un-education of coffee baristas

So I've been sitting here for hours calling local coffee shops to find out where they get their beans from and I've discovered that the people working in many of these shops need some serious education. This of course (on behalf of a former barista who didn't know the difference between a latte and a cappuccino) is not completely the fault of the barista. The owner should make it a priority to educate the people serving their coffee...this is just simple business protocol--especially if your business is strictly a coffee shop. I don't expect the same knowledge from a server at a cafe that is known more for its breakfast and lunch selections as I do from a barista who strictly prepares and serves coffee and espresso drinks. Here is a snippet of just one of my conversations,

Me: "I was calling to find out where you get your coffee beans from."

Barista: "Um...what do you mean?"

Me: "Who roasts your coffee?"

Barista: "Um, I'm not sure. Let me check on the bag."

Me: "OK...I've never heard of that company. Is the coffee organic or fair trade?"

Barista: "I think it's organic."

Me: "You think?"

Barista: "Well, it says on the bag it organic, so yeah, I think it is."

Me: "OK, how about fair trade?"

Barista: "Um...far trade?"

Me: "No, no...Fair Trade."

Barista: "I'm not sure, but I think it probably is."

Me: "Does it say Fair Trade on the bag?"

Barista: "I don't think so, but it probably is."

The sad part of this whole conversation, was that this was a variation of most of my conversations with the coffee shops that I phoned today.

SO....my revelation after all of these unbelievable phone calls was that if people who are currently working in the coffee industry don't know if the coffee they serve is from a sustainable source, how is the average consumer going to know? I am putting together a list of Sustainable Coffee Shops In San Diego; this is obviously a work in progress and as I learn more I'll add more to the list. Please let me know if there is a coffee shop you want me to do some research on or that should be added to the list. I'm also working on a list of coffee shops that have some organic and/or fair trade options, but these wouldn't be my top choices to purchase from...and if you frequent these places keep requesting that all their coffee be sustainable.

Coffee Crisis...what can I do?

The more I research the topic of coffee and sustainability the more inflamed I get that more companies aren't doing something about the injustices inflicted on the farmers from whom we get this daily obsession. As we wake up each morning stumbling to the coffee maker for that sweet satisfaction of the first sip that enables us to fully open our eyes and speak coherent sentences, or on our way to work as we nonchalantly drop $5.00+ down for some sweet concoction that somehow manages to drip on our new white blouse, our when we need a pick-me up after our sleepy lunch hour, or when we meet up with someone new at our local coffee shop, this indulgent drink that has become such a habit in our daily lives, comes from the sweat on the brow of a poor farmer who contemplates pulling his children out of school to help increase production; from a community that has no health care or education. It is a crisis that we have to help bring awareness to.

So you ask, well what can I do? Anytime you purchase a cup of coffee ask the person you're buying it from if it comes from a sustainable roaster, or a roaster that supports fair trade. If it doesn't, request it and don't keep spending your money there until they change. If it does sell sustainable coffee, give the owner a high five. :)

Support business that support sustainability and fair trade...wouldn't you rather know that while you enjoy that cup of coffee, more of your money is going back to the farmers hands that created it? I'm working on a list of where you can purchase sustainable coffee locally...stay tuned.

East County Charm

I tend to forget that San Diego has an east side...but if you're from East County or make it out there you have to make a trip down La Mesa Blvd in La Mesa. It's the main strip in La Mesa where you'll find an abundance of antique shops, thrift stores, local restaurants and of course a cute little coffee shop called Cosmos. This particular street makes me feel like I'm taking a trip back in time...its so "quaint." I imagine this would be an area where people actually know each others names. The coffee house is pretty spacious inside with a nice little outside patio in the front shaded by trees. I love patios; however I hate smelling cigarette smoke from the person next to me...so I moved back indoors and ordered a yummy sounding salad and my traditional cup of house coffee. There was no obvious notations of their coffee being organic or fair trade, however I found out their supplier was Cafe Moto--who does roast organic, fair trade beans. I was happy to know they used a vendor that supported organic and fair trade, however I am not a big fan of Motto's coffee--which is unfortunate because they supply a large amount of coffee to the local cafes here in San Diego. So I'll usually order an espresso drink like a latte or cappuccino if I know the beans are from Cafe Moto. Nevertheless, the beans are coming from a good source!

I've only visited this coffee shop in the afternoon, so I'm not sure what the night scene is like, but the times I have gone there, there has been a nice mix of young professionals and college age students filling the seats. The surroundings are comfortable, with periwinkle colored walls and artwork for sale nicely displayed. Apparently they have live music...but the website didn't showcase who was performing, so I don't know if the artists draw much of a crowd. Overall the place had a nice atmosphere and good crowd...the coffee and food were pretty good but could use some improvement, but the location itself makes this place a great place to at least check out once if you're in La Mesa!

San Diego Coffee Shop Scene

I'm not an expert when it comes to coffee, but I am abnormally consumed with the warm beverage and everything that has to do with coffee--more specifically, socially responsible coffee i.e., organic, fair trade, and shade grown. As I've been doing more and more research with hopes of starting my own coffee business soon, I've noticed that most of the websites of local San Diego coffee shops as well as the coffee establishments themselves have virtually NO information about where they are getting their beans from. The sad part it a lot of these establishments are serving socially responsible coffee and could benefit from advertising this to consumers. I live in Southern California; I know there has to be a ton of people who are interested in where they can buy quality coffee that is people/bird/eco friendly (I know you're out there...I've met you at the farmers markets!) Due to my infatuation with everything coffee, and since my favorite thing to do is visit new coffee shops, I thought I'd find out more about these local hangouts and fill you in--from who roasts the coffee, to good study spots, singles scenes, live music venues etc. If you're gonna fulfill that caffeine habit, you might as well be spending your money at a place where more of your dollar is getting into the farmers hands and their communities (which are typically impoverished areas) vs. the corporate "green" giants'.

So the first little coffee shop I want to fill you in on is Bird Rock Coffee Roasters in Bird Rock La Jolla. Keep your eyes open because if you blink you might miss it--this is not a place to visit if you're looking for a "scene," however if you are a connessiour of coffee, this is the place for an incredible cup of joe. There are only a few tables inside that over look the cute street of La Jolla Blvd; inside the shop is the actual roasting facility and where you will almost always find the owner, Chuck Patton, who overlooks the entire roasting process. It's evident that Chuck has a heart for the farmers and communities in which the beans he roasts are from--most of his coffees are organic, fair trade and shade grown...my favorite so far is their Bird Rock Blend. The coolest part about this place is that if you live Pacific Beach or La Jolla in the zip codes 92109 and 92037 they will actually deliver fresh roasted coffee right to your door!

Let me know if you're looking for a cool coffee shop to visit in your neighborhood--I'll be happy to check it out!