OFF THE RECORD: Fair Trade = Peace

Today, I had the privilege of visiting Equal Exchange headquarters in West Bridgewater, MA for a facility tour and cupping.

(Above: Daniel & Mike explain the difference between the samples we tasted.)

First off, let me just say the coffee was incredible! Mike introduced us to three varieties; one from Bolivia, one from Peru, and one from Ethiopia. My favorite was the Peruvian, which had notes of caramel and maple syrup, and was incredibly smooth and light, even though the beans were a year old! (Harvest time is approaching in S. America, so EE will be getting new stock from their co-op partners in Peru soon!)


(Above: the Brew Crew form we filled out during our tasting)

More importantly, all the coffee we sampled, indeed all the coffee they sell, is certified organic and fair trade. In essence, Equal Exchange’s coffee (and their tea, cocoa, chocolates, and new line of snack foods) promote peace. How? By working only with farmer cooperatives that grow their product without chemicals that harm the earth, Equal Exchnage is encouraging farmers to work sustainably. By empowering farmers with knowledge that helps them improve their product and marketing efforts, and by offering the best prices possible to the farmers who supply their product, this company is keeping people out of poverty. As far as I can tell, poverty breeds desperation, which ultimately leads to fighting. Empowerment leads to peace.

Daniel, who arranged the tour and cupping, laid out the company mission for me thusly:
“We’re pretty much a social justice organization, using [coffee, cocoa and tea] as tools.”

If you’d like to participate in a tour and cupping at Equal Exchange, email Daniel (dsteinberg@equalexchange.coop)for more info. The next tour is scheduled for August 18th.

p.s. I’m also inspired by Equal Exchange’s efforts to keep their refuse out of landfills. You’ll be able to read more about that at Conscious Cow soon!

Off the record: I’m Obsessed with food

I love food!
I love harvesting it at my friend’s farm, and gathering it in the wild and at U-pick places. I love preparing it, eating it, and sharing it with my family and friends.

I can discuss ingredients ad nauseum, and I view the act of creating new recipes as an artistic endeavor. I have so much fun playing with food that my loved ones say it’s hard to pry me out of the kitchen. My daughter says I’m not myself without a blender in the house, so after the last cheapo blender broke; I finally treated myself to a Vita-Mix.
(When UPS delivered the big box, and I opened it to find my fancy new blender, it was like Christmas all over again!)

I also love writing about food, so it makes perfect sense many of the magazines I write for are food industry publications. From seed to sip, I cover it all and love every minute of it. Visiting produce importers at the Boston market terminals for the fall 2008 issue of BLUEPRINTS was a thrill, and I’m looking forward to writing a feature about the Boston produce industry later this year.

My latest article in FRESH CUP, one of a few publications targeting professionals in the specialty beverage industry, was perhaps my most exciting assignment to date.

I conducted the research in Nicaragua, and among other things, I tried a RAW coffee bean. (I’m convinced that raw coffee could be the next big beverage craze… but I digress.)

I’ve spent the last few weeks focused on blueberries, for two upcoming articles in FARMING: the Journal of Northeast Agriculture, and GROWING MAGAZINE. Blueberries are my favorite fruit, so this research was especially fun. I spoke with blueberry farmers and with researchers who are working diligently to help growers strengthen their crop.

I am committed to covering stories that are uplifting, and I am committed to using my words to foster peace. (You may be wondering how FOOD is connected with peace… more on that later.) Toward that end, you’ll see my seed research column and other work again coursing toward people who are empowered and empowering, and toward events that promote healing and foster peace. I’ll be focusing on things like organic food and agriculture, healthy people making healthy lifestyle choices, and creative solutions to promote environmental health. I love the publications I write for, and am excited to continue providing my editors and readers with news they can use to create the life they want.