Fair Trade Coffee and You

By Brooke Hubbard

Seattle home to Starbucks, a name known everywhere in connection to high-end coffee, is also home to a few coffee shops that make the Emerald City a little greener. Pangaea Organica is just one of the smaller coffee retailers that sell certified organic and fair-trade coffee. Sustainable 1000 was able to land an interview with co-creator Rick where he talked to us about his passion for sustainable coffee and what it means to him. Producing coffee is more than just a business for profit. It is about making deliberate buisness choices that line up with his standard of social responisbility. It is about insuring that what he is offering is coming from a place he is proud to support. In Seattle where coffee is as much a staple as the rain, Pangaea Organica has hit upon an item that fits perfectly into the eco-friendly and jittery culture.

Interestingly, in 2010, the market for organic coffee has been marked as one of the most profitable businesses, making the coffee the most valuable organic product in North America. But, being organic does not always mean being Fair Trade certified. To be certified as a Fair Trade coffee there are several principles that need to be met. The idea behind Fair Trade is that "Fair Trade empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace." Trans Fair USA has outlined those principles and all things fair trade in a very clear and easy-to-understand way. In the interest of time, I've compiled a quick crash course.

Here’s what you need to know about what makes fair trade coffee more than just coffee.

Fair Trade Coffee must abide to all the following principles:
1. Fair Prices

2. Fair labor conditions

3. Direct trade

4. Democratic and transparent organizations

5. Community development

6. Environmental sustainability

With those six principles in place, farmers are able to compete on a leveled playing field that combats unfair treatment, wages, and conditions of workers, businesses and the environment. However, Fair Trade cannot survive on principles alone. Consumers are responsible for casting their vote for Fair Trade by being aware of the coffee they are purchasing and looking for the Fair Trade logo on purchased products.

Here’s where you as a consumer fit in:

1. Look for the Logo:
Get to know what companies are fair trade certified. Less companies than you think are 100% Fair Trade or working to get to be fair trade. (Don’t panic, Starbucks, Dunkins and McDonalds are all on the list!)

2. Be pro-active:
If you discover that your favorite coffee spot is not servering Fair Trade Coffee, don't despair. Start working on convincing your local favorite coffee spot to move towards fair trade.

3. Learn all you need to know about your cause:
(here’s some help, the Fair Trade Institute posts every single article written about Fair Trade on their site!) Or you could just start with Wikipedia :) The more you know the more people will listen.

Remember, we are working to increase awareness and promote business choices and life practices that support the environment. Sustainability is pro-activity!

“I realized this time, like any other business, I am going to make smart choices to accomplish the goal - 1000 interviews from 48 states in 250 days. I want this organization to be a long term media company that engages the audience of people who know sustainability, then crosses the boundary of those who do not know. " – Shane Snipes

Our Radio Show Player

For this who want to listen to the Washington State radio show on Energy, here's the player. Special thanks to Lizzie Parker, Gerod Rody, Snohomish County Public Utility Company, Larkin, and Martha Rose.

Happy Earth Day Washington

And to celebrate Sustainable 1000 is launching its premiere of Washington Green Radio. We will have 2 shows per month highlighting this state's innovations. As the Sustainable1000 road trip continues, we come back to WA virtually to share ideas and here the latest in the northwest.

Photo Story of Yamika Trip

Bellingham Photo Story

 
 
 
 

Yakima Photo Story 3

Yakima Photostory 2

Issaquah - Lizzie Parker Part 2

Lizzie and I explore how sustainability affects her store, why she makes the choices of clothing that she does, and how her clients feel about green.

Part 2 is under revision. Here's Part 3 instead!

Washington Green Radio Station Launched

link to radio station: next show April 22, 2010

Issaquah WA: Lizzie Parker sustainable fashion designer

I was happy to get a request from local eco fashion maven Lizzie Parker to connect with her, and jumped at the chance to have an interview. The following videos were shot on-location at her Issaquah WA store. Stop by and see her if you get a chance.

Lizzie is a fabricating nationally recognized designer based in Issaquah, creating many of the first samples for herself: as she test drives everything in her line. Lizzie combines European trending with casual fabrications for everyday wear.

Lizzie is a sustainable designer and uses organic fabrications in all of her work. Her signature fabric is one of the first organically certified bamboo jerseys on the market.

Lizzie also manufactures in the store creating a true atelier experience. Customers can also request eco bespoke services and we will make garments to order. Many customers have said the atelier is a throwback to the old dressmakers shop with a very modern twist.

Part 3 of 3: Interview : Pangaea Organica Coffee Roaster of Seattle

Here I am with Rick Riehle one more time as we go over what co-ops mean. Find out about them at Pangaea Organica!

Yakima Fun!

So I decided to test sleeping in my car last night. It worked! After heading to a store and getting an adaptor to give me a plug for inside my car, I was all set. I didn't need that last night, but will soon when I head outside of the Seattle area.

I had a little car glitch that kept from heading to Ocean Shores this weekend. But a friend's offer to go to the WA coast next Saturday the 17th for beach clean up filled that void.

The pilots are going good. My guests have been patient as I work out the lighting and audio kinks for shooting with the little cameras.

Scheduling is coming along too as I will launch my Washington Green Radio programs on Wednesday. Oregon's show will following on Thursday before I arrive there. The goal with these are to talk with people who I did not have time to meet while in there cities. Also, I will be connecting these towns to others for residents.

Back to my car experience. There were truckers and a few other cars parked in this big box store. It was open all night so I felt pretty safe, but honestly trekking through the suburbs of Warsaw in 1992 was probably more dangerous. :)

Oh and I am hanging at this coffeeshop updating some of my blogs, dating insights [link coming soon] and cutting more videos from the interviews this week. Have an interview with a sustainable winery today ay 230. Free samples please!

Hope to connect with the Mighty Tieton folks and interview them too. They have revived this village in central Washington with all kinds of art. This is the another aspect of sustainability. From their site, "Mighty Tieton is an extraordinary entreprenurial venture composed of a small but growing group of designers, architects, artists, and creative individuals. The venture is based in the Central Washington town of Tieton, fifteen miles west of Yakima. Mighty Tieton's goal is to help improve the economy of the town and region by combining its creative and professional talents and utilizing local resources to build successful businesses related to art, design, hospitality, and recreation." Cool huh.

Here's where I am...

Alan Seid Interview Part 1 of 4

Alan Seid is the author of the forthcoming book, Take It To The Next Level: a toolbox for positive change agents and cultural creatives and runs Cascadia Workshops.

Alan and Tricia live at Bodhi Creek Farm, a Permaculture site in the Foothills of Washington State's North Cascades, with our two daughters where this interview was filmed.

The Night After Bellingham Bliss

I am sitting here in Starbucks in Abbotsford. I assumed a friend would meet me here and they did not, so I am thinking about what to do. I'll either go back to Seattle tonight, or sleep in my car and see the city in the morning. Maybe go over to Vancouver to check that out in the AM. I have never been up here before. I'd rather be sitting in a local cafe but finding them can be a challenge. I have found this through the years of traveling for my job and looking for the local coffee spot. It's never easy, so chains are something I partake in.

We had a little bit of discussion about sprawl and suburbs this afternoon with my guest on Sustainable 1000.

Afterall, I did make it through the border crossing after being asked to go inside. I guess my passport of contradictions raised a red flag. I looked at it later. I see my mom's old address in North Carolina where I grew up, and an old address in Brooklyn, not to mention, my driver's license is from California, and so are my car plates. In any case, the border guards were cute so I did not mind.

Earlier in the day, I found a treasure north of Seattle. Bellingham is a liberal town in a liberal state.

As pretext, I tend to do well with intellectuals. It's a fault because I have to put myself out of my comfort zone to do small talk. Oftentimes, I'm seen as a bit unapproachable at parties. Good friends know me better and realize that I will talk about anything if it's done cleverly.

I was lucky to get a last minute interview with one of the smartest people in Bellingham, Alan Seid. Seriously, this person ended up taking me on a long hike describing vegetation, group dynamics, human compost processes, ecosystem interactions, and child behavior. He took my advice about doing or showing things to make our interview interesting to watch.

I realized looking at my project that there are obvious unsustainable aspects - driving a car, flying to cities for other work during the trip, and the small things like our web host. I realized this time, like any other business, I am going to make smart choices to accomplish the goal - 1000 interviews from 48 states in 250 days. I want this organization to be a long term media company that engages the audience of people who know sustainability, then crosses the boundary of those who do not know.

Part 2 of 3: Interview : Pangaea Organica Coffee Roaster of Seattle

Shane continues his talk with Rick about organic coffee and what it means to him. We dive into nuances of the coffee and why exactly he chose it. This video will go live at 9am Saturday. Check back then!