SojoBlend: Brewing up some justice

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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.