Recreating History: Changing The World Through Coffee
May, 2003 - Toronto "You know, it's amazing how many people don't
realize the impact their cup of coffee has," says Brad Zavislake, co-founder of the
Merchants of Green Coffee. "Revolutions have been planned around coffee - you know,
like the French revolution, the American RevolutionÄ" The Merchants of Green Coffee,
he goes on to explain, are instigating a revolution of their own.
Brad, and his brother Derek, founded Merchants of Green coffee with two purposes: to
introduce the coffee-consuming public to what a fresh cup of coffee really tastes
like, and why people should care about where their coffee comes from.
"Coffee isn't just a drink - it's the second highest traded commodity after oil, and
the crop responsible for the largest destruction of rainforest in coffee-growing
areas. Those coffee farmers who do produce coffee in environmentally friendly ways
aren't paid a living wage. Moreover, the quality of the coffee grown in place of
rainforest is quite poor - it's low grade and fairly bland and bitter in quality.
Everyone, farmer and consumer, loses."
"We've been pretty successful at converting coffee drinkers through the taste of our
coffee," states Derek. "Now we need to build on the mass appeal of our coffee to help
the industry change its practices in cultivating coffee." In addition to pioneering a
home-roasting process for enjoying a cup of freshly roasted, freshly brewed coffee,
the Merchants have also been pioneering change in their industry. "We have partnered
with a number of farming communes in Central America to test run our Sustainable
Coffee Program. This plan helps farmers through fair trade practices and
environmentally safe cultivation and drying techniques, while maintaining the
biodiversity of the region's ecology."
Recognized by the Canadian Government and the World Wildlife Fund for their
achievements in promoting fair trade and enviro-friendly cultivation, the Merchants of
Green Coffee are focusing on improving both the taste of coffee, and the public's
knowledge of industry-wide determental cultivation practices.
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