FairTrade Coffee!

We're pleased to announce that the Wesley's free coffee service is new and improved for the Fall 2009 semester! We've gone ethical AND great-tasting with our coffee service, buying only FairTrade coffee certified by TransfairUSA. What, you ask, is fairtrade coffee? Well, we're glad you asked! The main aspects of FairTrade, according to Exqual Exchange, are:

• direct purchasing from to those who are poorly served by the conventional markets, specifically small farmers and their cooperatives
• agreed upon commodity floor prices that provide for a dignified livelihood
• a promise by importers to make affordable credit available to the farmer cooperatives
• a world-wide network of non-profit certifying organizations
• a fee paid by the importers and wholesalers to cover the cost of certification
• a seal that assures consumers that a product was fairly traded

In other words, buying fairtrade products ensures that the people who grow and harvest crops receive an equitable price for what they produce, and aren't handcuffed by larger corporations and middlemen.

We've chosen Equal Exchange as the source of our coffee because of their great service, commitment to developing a more just food economy, and their relationship with the United Methodist Committee on Relief's (UMCOR) Coffee Project.

Interested in Equal Exchange's fairtrade coffee & other products for your church or campus ministry? Visit their interfaith store to learn more and order online. And the next time you're on campus, join us for a delicious and...and more just!...cup of coffee. It's on the house.