Ground to a halt

Christian Century, Jan 25, 2003 by Paul Jeffrey

Getting funding for these community-organizing efforts has been a tough sell, however. Pedro Jimenez, a Honduran economist who monitors food security in the region for the United Nations, contrasts the current situation to the outpouring of aid following Hurricane Mirth. "Mitch was photogenic, and the destruction of bridges and buildings captured people's attention," Jiminez said. "But the drought is a silent disaster, affecting people hidden away in the countryside. Even though the poor are more affected by the drought than by the hurricane, donors are not responding, and thus are condemning the poor to a slow death."

North America Christians can press mission boards and development groups on what they're doing to help make grass-roots democracy function for the poor. Is their financial and technical assistance really contributing to long-term empowerment? Another kind of response is an easy one for most congregations--think about the coffee served at church. Is it selected with a concern for justice in mind? By purchasing "fair trade" coffee, people can drink their brew without feeling guilty.

The fair trade movement has taken many of the middle people out of the coffee trade with countries like Nicaragua and Kenya. The movement is helping coffee producers and workers build better lives by paying a fair price to the farmer, working with democratic coffee cooperatives, offering stable prices and supporting sustainable agriculture.

After being pressured for several years, Starbucks now sells fair trade coffee in each of its U.S. stores (though seldom advertising it), and activists are turning their sights on other prominent chains. Starbucks resisted for a long time, claiming it provided money to organizations building clinics and schools in coffee villages. Yet fair trade advocates believe coffee workers should earn enough to provide their own health care, education and housing, and not have to depend on outside charity to survive. Fair trade is a matter of justice.

A coalition of church groups has organized the Interfaith Coffee Program to make fair trade coffee and tea easy to purchase online--at wholesale prices. Initiated by Lutheran World Relief and later joined by the American Friends Service Committee, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the United Methodist Committee on Relief and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, the coalition offers different kinds of coffee and tea from various parts of the world. A few clicks online (http://store.yahoo.com/equalexchange) and the order is delivered to the church office a few days later. Educational materials help church members feel better about what they're drinking while they learn about the environmental and economic aspects of coffee production in the Third World.

Drinking fair trade coffee isn't a magic solution to Alejandro Fuentes's problems. It won't stop El Nino or bring instant justice to the mountains of Central America. Yet stirring a little justice into our coffee is an easy and pleasurable way to exercise solidarity.