Last Wednesday I attended the Rose Cafe with Keith Lemnios where he spoke about his company Sun Coffee. This talk enlightened me on the coffee I drink every morning (and often afternoon) at Cornell. This is a company with a mission. It does not just want to create great coffee, it wants to help the people that produce it. The coffee workers who produce the beans that go into my morning cup are paid a fair wage and the company helps to educate their children. In addition, the company uses sustainable production methods, so the company is good for the people and for the environment.
I honestly was very surprised to learn of this. I never thought twice about the coffee I drank at Cornell. I might have questioned if it was fair trade, but nothing past this. I did not expect Cornell to spend extra money on coffee to ensure that it is doing more than caffeinating its students. It is very reassuring and makes me wonder about other similar initiatives the university is taking. It also makes me feel a little better about how much coffee I drink. I wonder how many workers are employed to help pay for my habit.
I have wondered for a while where Cornell receives its perishable goods, specifically its dairy products. If the university is cautious about its coffee source, I am optimistic about its treatment of animals as a food source. I especially worry about treatment of the dairy cows because insemination is mandatory to get cows to lactate, and maybe I’d drink more milk if I knew that the insemination was done in a way to minimize discomfort to the cow.
I also found the mission behind this company very interesting. To be honest, I did not know much, if anything, about the harvesting and production of coffee. Learning about the intense labor that goes into making one small cup of coffee was eye opening. I am glad that Cornell chose to go with a company that is actually trying to make a difference and improve the industry instead of just trying to make a profit.