Get Invovled

Drink fairly traded coffee.

Churches, colleges and businesses participating in the Coffee Project serve fairly traded coffee, tea and cocoa at various events. Members of churches can also join together to purchase fair trade products for use in their homes. There are two ways to purchase coffee:

• At your local Ten Thousand Villages store.
• Buy in bulk from Equal Exchange at wholesale prices (774-776-7366). Equal Exchange sells a variety of fairly traded items, including tea, cocoa and chocolate.

Use the form below (PDF) to order coffee and sign up for the coffee project.

MCC U.S. Coffee Project printable order form

Online purchases can be made at http://store.yahoo.com/equalexchange. When you make an online purchase, please be sure to complete the form asking for congregational or denominational affiliation and contact information.

Be an advocate.

As a consumer, how you chose to spend your money and the products you chose to support sends a powerful message to the companies who provide those products.

Other ways to get involved:

• Locally—Encourage local supermarkets and cafés to sell fairly-traded coffee. Drop a note in the suggestion box, or send a letter.

  Use this sample letter requesting stores to carry fair trade items.

• Nationally—Corporations such as Nestle, Kraft (owner of Maxwell House) and Proctor & Gamble (which owns Folgers) play a large role in the production and price of coffee.
• Globally— More information on a fair trade resolution.

See first-hand how small farmers' lives are changed by fair trade. MCC organizes learning tours through its regional offices—check with your local office for further information.

Global Exchange is a human rights organization that seeks to raise awareness about the root causes of injustice, and offers many "reality tours" focused on fair trade. Check out their travel schedule.

Witness for Peace is a grassroots organization that seeks to educate Americans about how U.S. policies affect Latin America. Check the delegation schedule for delegations relating to globalization, trade and debt.