"Equal

Exchange is like drinking a cup of justice... and justice

can taste outstanding." Pastor Timothy Bernard, Our

Redeemer Lutheran Church, Champion, Michigan

Can coffee

drinkers really affect the economy of farmers in Third

World countries? Surprisingly, yes. By drinking coffee

grown on cooperatives that adhere to fair trade

practices, java lovers can enjoy gourmet blends and

improve the way of life for farmers and their families in

Latin America and Africa.

Bonnie

Bobbitt, a member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in

Fayetteville, first became aware of the plight of coffee

growers about two years ago, after reading a column by

The Citizen's Sallie Satterthwaite. In her column,

Satterthwaite capsulized the history of coffee up to the

present.

Modern

practices have forced the small farmer to change the

traditional way of growing plants, up his production

through ecologically destructive means, sell out or lose

money sticking to the old ways. (See column page )

"I was

very moved by what she wrote. It made sense to support

the small farmer who grows in a co-op that doesn't give

the money to the middle man, but instead gives it to the

farmer and his family," Bobbitt said. "I tucked

it away in my mind," she continued, and last fall,

decided to take action.

Through

some web surfing, Bobbitt discovered a wealth of

information about Equal Exchange and the Lutheran World

Relief Coffee Project which involves some 1,300 Lutheran

congregations.

With the

help of church staff and the blessings of pastors Justin

Kollmeyer and Keith Hedrick, Bobbitt spearheaded a

quarterly coffee sale. The first sale in November sold

$400 of top-of-line Equal Exchange brand coffee to the

church and its members, with the brew used regularly

during fellowship meetings.

The

February sale was modestly successful, and now Bobbitt is

gearing up for the May 21 ordering time and sale. Six

different flavors and types will be offered: Organic

Breakfast Blend, Cafe Salvador, Organic Mind, Body and

Soul, Hazelnut Cream, Organic Decaf and whole bean.

In return,

the farmers receive about $3 per case sold through the

co-op. "What's different about working with World

Exchange is that we send our coffee directly to them

without intermediaries. The extra money that our

cooperatives receive makes a difference in medicines and

nurseries to care for our children," said Mateo

Rendon of FESACORA a cooperative federation in El

Salvador.

The

cooperative approach eliminates the middleman, and

assures that the farmer receives a fair price for his

product. "We used to live in houses made of corn

husks; now we have better work, better schools, homes of

adobe, and a greater brotherhood of

decision-makers," said Don Miguel Sifontes,

president of a coffee cooperative that sells to Equal

Exchange.

The

consumer also benefits by having an opportunity to buy

organically grown and shade-grown coffee offered at a

competitive price, about $3.50 per pound, comparable to a

supermarket brand coffee.

Churches

interested in setting up their own coffee ministry can

phone Equal Exchange at 781-830-0303 or e-mail [email protected] . Lutherans can

e-mail Lutheran World Relief at www.lwr.org/coffee.html .