If you are a coffee person, and/or a humanitarian, or both, watch Dukale’s Dream. This is a documentary from World Vision hosted by Hugh Jackman (World Vision Ambassador). In it, Hugh visits Ethiopia to understand the work that World Vision is doing, and specifically meets a coffee farmer named Dukale.
Dukale is a success story for World Vision as he has taken the help received and transformed his life to be better than before. He’s almost carbon neutral in his farming AND he’s teaching others in his community how to do the same. Hugh is quite inspired by Dukale, and as a coffee enthusiast himself, makes a pledge to only drink Fair Trade coffee so that people like Dukale can continue to thrive and rise out of poverty.
Hugh helps out Dukale on his farm for a day. Probably the funniest moment is when Dukale says he has no idea who Hugh Jackman is, but for a supposed famous person, he worked very hard and made a good farmer. Then there’s the kids in the village who recognized him as Wolverine. Yes, kids in a remote Ethiopian village know Hugh Jackman is Wolverine.
You’ve probably heard of Fair Trade coffee. In simplest terms, it’s like Direct Trade (in which you buy directly from the farms), but ads a guarantee to you, the consumer, that your money is going back into the farms to promote sustainability and that the farms are treating their workers ethically as well. So, rather than Starbucks going in and offering pennies on the dollar to farmers, they get a fair wage for their work, and they can survive.
Hugh was so struck by this, that he not only pledged to drink only Fair Trade, but he started a coffee company to directly help as well. He has the resources to do something tangible. Speaking at the UN and using his fame is nice, but actually buying thousands of pounds of coffee from these farmers is putting real money into the economy. And, the shop (and his Laughing Man organization) is donating 100% of profits back into programs to help eliminate poverty.
Laughing Man Coffee & Tea has two locations in New York and serves the Dukale’s Dream flagship Ethiopian coffee. It’s very good.
Starbucks is pulling a fast one folks!!! You already know I don’t like their coffee…in fact it’s total crap. But, they apparently are taking advantage of the fact that most people can’t do simple math anymore with their new Starbucks Rewards program.
