There is no question that the fair trade and environmental movements have become economically viable options in the marketplace. My question to the industry and consumers is; are we truly uplifting the producer and creating a better standard of living or are we paying lip service and using marketing schemes to pad our own pockets while keeping the producers in third world countries in their place. It has become very common for roasters in the industry to visit origin farms and begin the process of telling them how to grow, harvest and produce their products. In the short term, the roaster reaps the benefits of helping to create a better coffee for their own needs and the producer may get a higher price for a portion of their crop. In the long term, it can create an imperialistic attitude of creating better profits for ourselves while never truly helping the producer to overcome the realities of the market when looking at the entire crop. It does not address the issues of lower grade coffee that are inevitably part of any crop. This can be said for many of the ingredients that we commonly take for granted. How many times have we heard a television chef flippantly say “simple ingredients” or “a regular cup of coffee” or the ever present “a dash of fresh ground pepper”. Where does the food and drink that we consume come from? As we sit and enjoy our holiday meals with friends and family, take a moment while sipping that fresh after dinner coffee and embrace the complicated. Put a face and a place on your ingredients and their origin and share it with those around you. Give thanks to the intricate web of people and processes that allow us to not only sustain ourselves but keeps us connected with the world around us. By embracing the complicated we better understand the true cost of great food and beverages not only elevating our taste buds but elevating the people and places where great food truly comes from.

Great places for information and ways to educate and get involved:

• www.rainforest-alliance.org  The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior.
• www.scaa.org Specialty Coffee Association of America; trade organization for Specialty coffee.
• www.oxfamamerica.org  Oxfam America works on the scene, helping people gain the hope, skills, and direction to create a new future. They are also active in the global arena, addressing social injustice through advocacy, public education, and emergency assistance programs.
• http://transfairusa.org TransFair USA enables sustainable development and community empowerment by cultivating a more equitable global trade model that benefits farmers, workers, consumers, industry and the earth. They achieve our mission by certifying and promoting Fair Trade products.
• http://www.cafefemeninofoundation.org  Supports woman in coffee.
• http://www.coffeekids.org  Coffee Kids has helped thousands of children, women, and men in coffee-producing regions around the world to improve the quality of their lives and build more sustainable communities.

There are many more great organizations out there providing aid and education in regards to all of the many ingredients and foods that come to our plates, so hit the net, do some research, learn and share! 

The truth is in the cup.

About the Roaster

Morning Glory Coffee & Tea Inc. is a roaster of specialty coffees in West Yellowstone, Montana. At Morning Glory Coffee & Tea Inc., we are passionate about the close-knit coffee community from "seed to cup", and are proud to roast and provide some of the best coffees in the world on our website catalog and at our West Yellowstone, MT Coffee House.  At Morning Glory Coffee & Tea Inc., we feel it is important to roast our coffees appropriate to the origin characteristics rather than to a particular roast color.