The People's Alliance Anti-corporate globalization campaign focus for February is fair trade coffee. For many of use, coffee is not so much a luxury item, but rather al essential part of our morning routine. Unfortunately, due to "free market reforms" and IMF "structural adjustment" programs, much of the coffee we consume in the United States was grown by exploited farmers in South America and South-East Asia. Over the last ten years, world coffee prices have dropped dramatically and specialty coffee has lost more than half its per pound price since 1998. This has put thousands of coffee growers to lose their livelihood. Reports say that in the tens of thousands of Mexicans have fled there fields in order to find other sources of income while 30,000 jobs have been eliminated in El Salvador and 60,000 coffee producers in Nicaragua are at risk of losing their land.

While coffee growers are suffering, the big players in the coffee industry are racking in record profits. Lower prices mean big profits for the companies like Folgers, Kraft, and Nestle. These three companies have done nothing to address the crisis facing coffee growers worldwide. Nor have they agreed to carry �fair trade� coffee, coffee that has been purchased at an ethical price level. Sara Lee and Starbucks, Have introduced on fair trade line, but still the majority of the coffee they sell and market is not fair trade.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to the big food conglomerates. More and more, independent businesses are selling and promoting fair trade coffee. Here in Grand Rapids, there are several establishments that sell or serve fair trade coffee.

For more information on this month's campaign, a list of places selling fair trade coffee, and ways to get involved, check out the People's Alliance fair trade coffee page.