Let's start with Fair Trade. Fair Trade is a viable solution to this crisis, assuring consumers that the coffee we drink was purchased under fair conditions. To become Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria and pay an American company an astronimical fee to use the label; paying a minimum price per pound of a dollar.26, providing much needed credit to farmers, and providing technical assistance such as help transitioning to organic farming. Fair Trade for coffee farmers means community development, health, education, and environmental stewardship. The beauty of Fair Trade is it helps farmers in third world countries - so instead of getting $.50 per pound they get $1.50 per pound. A noble concept and should be at the basic of every purchase as a minimum. If given the choice choose Fair Trade over non Fair Trade.

But this is settling -when you can do so much more. There are now coffee companies that use their profits to help so many worthy causes.

There are a few great gourmet coffee companies that give all their profits to help so many worthy causes. For example two companies come to mind:Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee and Coffee for Children give all their profits to helping children. And they are also shade grown and they are Fair Trade so they are helping support the small farmers on the back end. But more importantly instead of helping a Starbucks fill their coffers with more profits you are helping impoverished children with the retail profits.

We believe in a total transformation of the coffee industry, so that all coffee sold in this country should be as a minimum a Fair Trade Certified, or if produced on a plantation, that workers' rights should be guaranteed and independently monitored. Our view includes social justice and environmental sustainability: all gourmet coffee should be certified organic and shade grown where applicable and bird supportive. And all these coffees should also be Shade Grown and Bird certified coffee.

But more importantly the coffee should be used to help children or the elderly. Can you imagine the help that would come from the $5 billion coffee industry helping homeless children? Sip on that next time you sit inside your Starbucks and try to figure out how you can make the world a better place.