Did you know that twenty-five million people throughout the world make their living from coffee? As the worlds second largest export commodity (behind oil), coffee plays an important economic role in the world. And since coffee is traded on two commodity exchanges (New York for arabica coffee—London for the lower quality robusta coffee), the price fluctuates according to supply and demand.

Today, the price of raw, green coffee beans is very low. This is due to huge excesses of supply coming from the growing countries located in East Africa, Indonesia, and Central and South America. The resulting low price for green coffee is a financial hardship on the millions of farmers... they simply can't earn a living wage! Many can't send their kids to school, receive adequate health care, own a car, or even buy enough food to eat.

This dilemma is in contrast to our own lifestyle! Think if we were faced with a similar crisis!

Well, we at Bucks County Coffee Company are committed to helping coffee growers around the world by sponsoring three major initiatives:

1. We subscribe to a concept called "Fair-Trade". Through a non-profit organization called Trans-Fair, USA, we pay a fair price for our coffee to cooperatives in growing countries. The price we pay is significantly higher than the current market price. This price filters down to the actual farmer—who is guaranteed a decent living wage—at least $1.00 per pound.

Our Fair-Trade coffee was recently chosen by A&P, Super Fresh, Waldbaums and Food Emporium in the Northeast (even though they roast their own brand called "Eight O'clock"). You can visit one of their 300 stores to buy Bucks County Fair Trade coffee and support the farmers who grow it.

2. We financially support a group of coffee growers in Colombia called the Embera-Chami indians. The tribe grows a wonderful coffee for us called "La Vereda". We in turn, have given them financial support by establishing an annual endowment. With our funds, they recently built a new Community Center (the Tribe had no central building in which to meet), eight new school rooms (now kids can study through the sixth grade) and purchased new tables, chairs, and books for their library. Our endowment has helped their quality of life. Now, a more exciting event has occurred—last month, the Colombian National Oil Corporation (called "Ecopetrol") matched our funds! This doubles the money going to the tribe!

3. We pay many of the farmers who grow our coffee a "price differential". Instead of paying the minimum commodity exchange price, we offer to pay the farmer higher prices, and in return we get their best coffee! We want to be sure our growers stay on their farms... to take care of their tree...to fertilize...to prune... and to properly pick each bean (not strip pick the trees as low priced coffee mandates). We want our farmers to earn a decent living so that they may continue to grow quality coffee. We voluntarily pay more, and hopefully the cup you enjoy reflects our committment.

These are three ways we are trying to help! We are a micro-roaster, not a huge, impersonal corporate conglomerate, so our impact is small—but in good conscience—we know we are helping! We thought you would be interested! Next time you enjoy a delicious cup of Bucks County Coffee, you can sit back and relax knowing that your purchase has contributed to this very global cause.

Until next time,

Rodger Owen