Every once is a while you run across something that everyone likes. One thing that comes to mind for me is ice cream. Very few people just don't like it.
While not everyone is a coffee drinker, most everyone who hears this story is moved at how just being a conscientious consumer can change the lives of a community.
In the small town of Salvador Urbina, Chiapas, Mexico where they grow arabica and robusta coffee life is a lot better than back in 2001. Back then the price they were getting for a bag of coffee was about $30 and today they are getting $160 for that same size bag.
When you can help a community by just giving the farmers in that community the ability to buy a coffee roaster changed their lives forever.
They repaid that loan to the group of ecumenical churches that gave them $20,000. Now they are taking care of that community in so many ways.
Now those small store fronts are full of supplies because those in the community can now afford to buy from them.
Coffee is the most labor intensive crops one can grow. From the time of just planting a seed to your first harvest can take three years. Once your plants are ready to harvest it can take a few months to finish the harvest and weeks to de-pulp, dry, husk and then roast the coffee.
Every day while I was in Salvador Urbina, my host Pelayo, was spreading the robusto coffee to dry it before going to the roaster.
Just three years ago since I visited the community I could see changes. Most of all I saw more laughter and smiles than even before. The reason was they were able to live as families in community.
