COFFEE:
A BITTER CUP?

Coffee is big business, but for the majority of coffee farmers the benefits are small. The chain of events from the coffee farm to your cup is long and expensive, often leaving the farmer with very little to live on. Most coffee farmers live in isolated communities, in some of the poorest countries in the world. They usually sell their coffee to middlemen, known to the farmers as "coyotes."

With world prices in constant flux and coyotes offering the lowest price possible, the farmers never know how much they'll get for their crops. But there is an alternative: Fair Trade. Fair Trade shares the bounty of the coffee with those who grow the crop, helping them build a better future for themselves and their communities.

YOU CAN HELP

GET STARTED ONLINE by clicking here to learn how to order coffee and start promoting Fair Trade in your congregation.

SERVE FAIRLY TRADED COFFEE at church events and during fellowship hour.

OFFER GIFT BASKETS of fairly traded coffee to new members, as Christmas presents, or for other occasions.

DESIGN FUND-RAISING PROJECTS offering fairly-traded coffee for use at home and work. Share the proceeds with people overseas via LWR.

DISCUSS FAIR TRADE in adult forums, with youth, men's and women's groups. Provide local businesses with information and ask them to sell fairly-traded coffee, like Equal Exchange.

HOLD A SCREENING OF "GROUNDS FOR HOPE", LWR's video about the fairly-traded coffee. Click here to learn more about the video.

Questions? Email fairtrade@lwr.org to learn more.
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