Everybody wants a revolution … but no one wants to do the dishes.

I believe in doing the dishes. We need lots of people who are willing to do the dishes.

For those who are firm advocates of “learning through action”, it is imperative to learn more about all of the areas mentioned above through the lens of a traveler on a JC Delegation. As explained by JC, “A number of times each year Just Coffee offers customized fair trade travel Delegations to visit our coffee producers all over the world. Delegations are available to Just Coffee customers, friends, community members, avid coffee drinkers, and anyone with an interest in fair trade and cultural diversity. Delegations serve as a way for the company to stay in close contact with our coffee producing groups, a value that is integral to truly fair trade. Delegations are educational travel experiences that focus on the long production of coffee from the tree to your cup and the ideologies and realities of fair trade as it currently exists.” Individuals come away from these trips even bigger believers -- in both fair-trade coffee and the Just Coffee Cooperative. Having seen the production process first hand and shared smiles and meals with the producers themselves, one can not walk away from this experience feeling humbled. These delegations are ways for cooperatives to reinforce their missions -- and, ideally, forge a stronger connection with current and potential customers who, if not already, will become more committed to the cause than ever. These delegations are paramount to the success of the fair trade movement and help to create passionate brand ambassadors for various coffee cooperatives and fair trade coffee and social justice in general. First hand experience does a job that no marketing campaign ever could. If more companies were to embrace this ethnographic style of business and research, we could potentially increase the rate at which we consumers consume more “consciously.” There were many experiences on this trip that helped to make me a bigger believer in the fair trade movement.

Somebody can tell you about a place or an issue and you can nod your head and say, “yeah, that’s interesting.” or somebody can show you a photograph or a painting and say, “wow that’s something, I had no idea,” but until you’re actually there, until you’re in the midst of the place, the people, the culture, where all of your senses are involved, that’s the transformative moment, that’s when you really understand and comprehend what you’re connecting with. For me, the whole concept of fair trade coffee was relatively new. In the past, I honestly didn’t find myself drinking much coffee at all and went into this delegation hoping to absorb and digest as much information, knowledge, and wisdom as possible. Though the entire delegation was educational, enriching, and enlightening, the one moment that stood out the most for me, is the day we spent in Esteli with the women of La Fem touring coffee cooperatives, visiting the areas where the coffee trees are grown, and listening to stories told by the women of La Fem regarding the revolution and how they found the strength and courage to move forward after the loss of their loved ones. It’s so amazing to see these women unite with one another and overcome the social constraints and gender inequalities and use coffee as a vehicle for equal rights and overcoming the “machismo” culture. At the end of the day, I retired into my mosquito netting and thought about what I can do to help, what I can do to become a part of the solution.

Here in America, our society is modeled around consumption. People are continually making purchasing decision, so as long as that is the case, we can use coffee, specifically fair trade coffee to influence more educated and conscious purchases. I would agree with those who say “fair trade is not the silver bullet,” but in my eyes it’s a step in the right direction. I agree what was explained by Carol Bracewell of CALA in that, “I think we can work on all aspects of global trade to improve it, from labor, to safety, to value-added, to greener shipping, etc, etc. Any product for sale ultimately gets purchased by someone, so Fair Trade is simply one part of a global justice effort, focusing largely on getting more of the purchaser's dollars to the producers.” There certainly are larger issues at hand here, but what that day listening to the women of La Fem at the Memorial did for me, was inspire me to ask more questions. Just Coffee certainly empowers people to explore these issues both passively and actively and the women of La Fem have helped to spark more curiosity and an unrelenting eagerness to learn. Many of these issues are complex and interconnected and I’m very fortunate now to have the resources of Just Coffee, La Fem, and CALA to reach out to for support for the questions I have and for questions from other inquiring minds. As more and more people go on these delegations, and learn first hand from the producers, we will take steps to becoming closer and closer to reaching an influential critical mass regarding how coffee drinkers go about purchasing their coffee. To everyone involved in the movement at Just Coffee, La Fem, and CALA your congeniality, your dedication, and your vision are an inspiration to us all. Gratefulness is a shallow word for what I feel. Love and admiration seem cliché. Perhaps only a simple thank you will do. To everyone considering a delegation, please do yourself a favor and try as hard as possible to make it on one of these enriching excursions. To those who were not considering a delegation, I hope after reading this, you may consider one in the near future.