The Rose Cafe talk this week was given by Mr. Lemnios, the head of the Sun Coffee Roasters. (Sun coffee is served in the dining halls at Cornell.) He talked about how he got into coffee, and after traveling to coffee farms he decided that it was important to pay his coffee growers enough to actually live on, as well as investing in education for their children. Since then he has visited the coffee farms that he’s partnered with and ensured that the growing process is sustainable, that the growers are being paid reasonably, and even built schools for the farms.
Mr Lemnios talked about how companies can make themselves stand out from their competition by having a clear mission, a “why” the are doing what they are doing. Leading with this “why” in marketing can be extremely effective in outselling competitors.
I think that it’s great that Cornell is supporting a company that strives for fair trade and sustainability. I also think that having a mission is not only beneficial to a company but also to consumers. Many people, especially from younger generations are thinking more about where the products they are buying come from and what kind of impact they have. I think it’s important to remember that we have great power over the market with our purchases. If we decide to put our money towards things that we believe in those things will become more prevalent. And if collectively we can stop supporting practices that we don’t believe in, companies will either die out or change. We really can vote with our dollar.
I completely agree with what you’re saying. I think that it’s easy for people to forget that the companies they purchase from may a marked impact on the global community in a variety of ways. As consumers, we have the power to choose how we want companies to behave, and it is important to consider that each time you go to the store. Also, I think many people don’t believe that their purchases as a single consumer count, but that isn’t the right attitude at all. Your money matters more than you think!
Every dollar we spend is a vote for what kind of world we want to live in. People will go out and protest against unfairness in the world wearing Nikes. It’s so important to realize that, though it is important to voice our opinions, it is just as important to back that up with how we spend our money. It’s so good to hear that Cornell Dining is using a sustainable and humane source of coffee.