Cup and Trade: Conscious Purchasing of Coffee and Chocolate

A majority of society starts every morning with a cup of coffee, tea, or even hot chocolate--sitting, sipping, and reflecting on the day ahead or watching the news questioning how on earth society has gotten so bad. Finding the thoughts of the morning leave and the cup empty, we often take that simple cup for granted. Few stop to think where this cup of liquid salvation has come from, whose hands touched it, or the work put into making something so necessary for today’s developed nations. Those of us who purchase coffee (and chocolate) should take time and reflect, instead, on the hands that are producing so much vitality to start the day. As consumers, we should question if these farmers are living a successful life, if they get paid enough, if they are treated fairly at work, and if these farmers’ children have to work to help provide instead of going to school—and of course, how this simple cup of liquid gold is affecting the environment. Fortunately, Fair Trade can help benefit consumer, farmer, and buyer. Too often consumers accept false arguments that Fair Trade products are financially unfeasible and do not fully understanding how ethically and environmentally responsible procuring Fair Trade actually is. We need to be willing enough to investigate where our consumer money is actually going