you could bring coffee from home rather than buying those overpriced ones. this is what small changes can do. and someone should definitely stand up against starbucks. not only should the wages of the farmers be increased but the price of those coffees be lowered too.

It should make us realize be more appreciative towards what we have.

We can influence the wellfare of those producing different items we use on a daily basis by choosing who to buy from. This is a smart, active thing to do and has a direct affect on the farmers. However, many things bought in this country are only produced in nations with no laws concerning child labor or workers rights. Short of taking over their government, and I think recent events have shown us this has ceased to be an viable option in today's world, the only way to convince leaders to initiate some of these human rights programs would be to provide them with major incentive. A country's leader likes to stay in power and the only way to do this is to be popular among the people or control the people. When the economy is doing well and the rich are getting richer as a result of labor that closely resembles slavery these child owners will do everything they can to prevent any laws that slow them down from coming into place. It's a pickle, no doubt about it. Any thoughts?

While we're talking fair trade--and some of you guys seem to know a lot about it--can you suggest other things that we eat/use every day (like coffee) and we should be considering fair trade issues? I mean, people talk about coffee and we hear about sweat shop labor for clothing, what else should we know? I wanna learn more!

Oh sorry.
I get it now.
ahaha. ....

Well... I don't drink coffee but I'll tell all my coffee drinking friends and family that.

Call me stupid but, I kind of don't get it...

Is the coffee suppose to be cheaper?
Or are the coffee farmers selling it to companies for a bigger price?

i have scene fair trade coffees presentation and overall i think it is a great idea and i hope that the bigger idea gets out there. that there are major problems that need to be fixed!

Now after so much pressure Starbucks is trying to do something about the unfair Coffee prices for it's growers.
But my suggestion is buy from a company that not only beleives in the Fair trade but also prescribes to "Green" farming and cultivating.
So if you really want to impact Starbucks hit them in the pocket book.
Here's an alternative solution.
Check out http://www.latinorganics.com

I know right?

What is the point of telling everyone all the drugs you are on? Is that supposed to make people respect you?

Those are rhetorical questions, by the way.

I'm not trying to sound offensive, but how about sticking to talking about the issues/topics....not what you last got high on. Ok?

I think you ought to try following your own advice, "You need to not say things that you don't know what you are talking about."

Also I don't think you need to determine what I do and don't need, I'm perfectly proficient enough to do so on my own.

According to you I've already tried it," Usher you are a lying piece of @#$%&. You know you have smoked you shair of token in your life "

If thats the way you want to live your life, then go right ahead. However, I don't think its a good idea for you to be coming on here, and running your mouth with your negative comments. Remember to read the Do Something rules before posting, that way you don't break them AGAIN.

Do Something's message boards are not clothes hampers...
Throw your dirty laundry somewhere else. We ask that you don't curse or use other inappropriate language here (if you have to think too hard about using a word, you probably shouldn't). This is a forum for the exchange of positive ideas, not a place to gang up on others or make anyone feel bad. Feeling good is good, right? Yup. Also, for your own safety, we ask that you don't post personal information about yourself or where you live on these boards. Please follow these simple and important rules or you WILL be voted off the island. Okay, to clarify, here’s the…Don’t DO It Checklist (for our Message Boards):

DON’T share personal or private info
DON’T threaten fellow message boarders
DON’T offend any specific race, religion, sexual orientation, or culture
DON’T post or distribute sexually explicit, vulgar, or obscene content
DON’T impersonate another message boarder, Do Something Staff Member, or anyone else you are not
DON’T post copyrighted material or material created by others with out direct permission
DON’T post advertisements for any goods or services
DON’T post offensive material of any kind

You probably dont even do drugs, you are just trying to look big.

[color=red] Fair Trade provides organi coffees allowing people to get the most for their hard work. The FTF (Fair Trade Federation) hopes to get everyone the dollar they deserve. What would happen if Starbucks received their coffee from Fair Trade or any other big coffee companies.

By switching to coffee such as this, we could help so many people. It's only an order away. Talk to parents, grandparents, friends, neighbors. If they're willing to change their coffee, they could help so many!!!!

Yes I understand that, but it seemed like you were just worried about kids in other countries. I understand now, and apologize.

That's just the thing, Ushersgirl, the title of this forum is global extreme poverty. The kids in our country need to be helped, as do the millions, maybe billions of hungry adults and children alike living in 3rd world country. Put another way, Fair Trade coffee is going to help starving children and adults in Latin America, not the whole world. Does that make Fair Trade better than other options? No, there are millions of other people that need to be helped. On the other hand, buying Fair Trade goods and getting the word out is very easy, and in my opinion, if we plan to change the world at all, then we need to take every opportunity that's thrown at us that we can possibly do. We can manage paying more for coffee, at the same time as volunteering at a soup kitchen for the kids in our country while doing fill in the blank.

The world has many starving people, and their problems are complicated, and I don't know how to help all of them. But I do know that Fair Trade coffee is an easy way that could be a very effective way to feed families in Latin America. One could easily help the kids in our country too.

Not trying to be mean, but what about the kids in OUR country?

That is the thing, Fair Trade goods (which I recently learned includes fair trade chocolate) pay more money to the farmer, and the company makes less money off of it, even though the consumer pays slightly more. It's different: we've established that people are in poverty, lets move on to what can be done to stop it. Fair Trade goods are one of the ways to help third world farmers. I don't know how to help the children who make shoes for a bowl of rice.

So yes, coffee is like many material goods in stores, but Fair Trade coffee can help with poverty in latin america.

Although you make a good point, it not only like that with coffee, but with every other material good out there. Think of children in third world countries who are traded to make shoes for a bowl of rice a day and a roof over their head. They then ship the shoes here and we pay $70 for them. Also, think of sales. Store can afford to make their good "75% off" and still make money off of them. Coffee is a good example, but in reality its no different than any other marked up material good sold at a store.

<3

Don't take my word for it! Research it yourself, look up everything you can on Fair Trade. I'm still doing it myself, for the most effective way to get people to listen to you is to be well educated on the subject. People find it hard listening to teens already, what kind of respect would we get if we didn't know what we were talking about?

Also: don't read boards like these and walk away without doing anything. We've established that there's a problem here and we have the right and power to act. Work with me, for the coffee farmers in Latin America are living in poverty, even if it means just telling a friend. But don't remain silent on topics that you care about.

What does this have to do with global extreme poverty?

Everything. These farmers are being paid next to nothing! And what do we pay? An article on the web by Chris Pummer says that "The $750 in annual net pay a $3-a-day, work-week coffee habit consumes would yield almost $300,000 in an IRA growing 8% annually over 40 years." We spend a lot of money on coffee. Imagine how much these farmers could be helped if people found the will inside them to spend the money differently for a little less coffee.

Courses of Action:

Get the word out! Write an article for a school newsletter, tell your friends, tell your parents...tell the checkout lady at the supermarket!

Go to coffee shops, and talk to the manager and employees about Fair Trade coffee. See if they know what it is, and if they carry it.

Buy it yourself! If you or a family member is a coffee drinker, support Fair Trade coffee by buying it. There are a handful of Fair Trade companies available, and each purchase raises the demand. I admit, it is hard to find and more expensive, but the extra money that we pay supports the cause of paying coffee farmers in Latin America 2x what they would normally get.