Behind every cup of coffee there is a farmer to
produce it. But usually the economics don't work
in the farmers' favor.
A 14-year-old coffee worker in Honduras.
We coffee drinkers in the developed countries can pay
$2 or more for a premium cup of coffee. But many
small farmers in the underdeveloped world are
lucky to live on $2 a day.
The coffee industry is dominated by four multi-
national companies. Proctor & Gamble, Philip
Morris (yes, profiting on more addiction!), Sara
Lee, and Nestle account for 40 percent of worldwide
sales. Likewise, just six multinational firms control
40 percent of the world's export coffee market.
For every pound of coffee sold in the United States
farmers get less than 35 cents and coffee pickers
less than 14 cents, according to industry statistics.
The causes lie in a complex system in which coffee
beans can pass through as many as 15 hands between
shrub and cup, with price increases along the way.
In between the farmer and the exporter are multiple
middlemen who mark up prices and pad profits.
That background helps explain why Sojourners distributes our own
special SojoBlend - three blends, actually, from
which to choose.
A worker clears weeds from shade-grown coffee plants with a machete instead of using chemical herbicides.
All of our coffee is "fair
trade," which guarantees coffee farmers a set
price at least four times higher than the industry
average, regardless of world price fluctuations.
All of our SojoBlend coffee is shade-grown and
organic as well. Call it the "triple seal" of
java justice. And just to show that justice doesn't
have bad taste, the coffee is just as good or
better than you can get at a premium coffee house.
Our partner in this venture is Pura Vida, a non-profit charity that contributes 100% of its
profits to provide hot meals, clothing, medicine
addiction treatment, and hope to thousands of
needy families in Costa Rica. So every time you
drink SojoBlend coffee, you...
ensure organic coffee producers get a fair wage
supply funds for street kids in Costa Rica
support the mission of Sojourners
get a great cup of coffee
Please consider making your coffee drinking an
act of justice. You can get it by the pound, or
become a "Constant Cup" member and you'll receive a fresh pound every month. >>Just
click here.
