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I'm in. RSVP not required, but appreciated. Come on down folks, let's see what we can contribute and get accomplished offline. Looking forward to meeting Stan!

I would consider coming, yet I find it ironic that the meeting place is a coffee house (which I love the loook & feel of) that doesn't serve organic, fairtrade coffee and the movie being proposed to see after the meeting is about the inequities of the mainstream coffee industry.

Interesting choice of venues.

Your point is well taken Raymond. I think the choice of Stir Crazy had more to do with logistics than product. I confess I am not as well-informed on this issue as I probably should be. Perhaps we can take this up with Stir Crazy's owner while we're there.

Hey Raymond - why don't you grab a coffee at the Coffee Connection and come on over. You make a fine point, but this meeting isn't about the venue, its about gathering people together and finding common ground.

And agree with Todd, this is a good time to raise the issue with Stir Crazy's ownership, since there is a local event that can be used as an example of the opportunities that fair trade products bring us.

If this is a HUGE sticking point with people, we can move the venue, but for now, I think that Stir Crazy is a great location, just down the road from the coffee overlords who shall not be named.

Not to digress the thread, or to necessarily plug Stir Crazy's coffee since I don't know what they serve - but coffee purveyors should not be boycotted for lack of third party certification. More power to any coffee house that pays attention to the sourcing of their coffee - but coffee sourcing is far more complicated than simply relying on third party labels. Lack of certification does not mean coffee is not organically grown, nor does it mean farmers are not treated fairly. Conversely, certification does not mean that you are buying coffee that is produced in the most environmentally friendly manner, or that farmers are treated any better or get paid any more. (It may well be the opposite, as I have seen firsthand in Costa Rica.)

Certification is its own business. It should be viewed just as critically as any other business trying to sell something. That is not to say certification has not done alot of good for many marginal farmers - but it is not a panacea, and it should not be a reason by itself not to support a local independent coffeehouse. By all means, encourage a coffeehouse to serve certified organic and fair trade coffees - but leave some room for the generations of coffee farmers who have always produced organically and sustainably, and who are able to earn more than the "fair trade certified" price because of the quality of their coffee. For them, certification is just money out of their pocket, which translates to fewer passes through the coffee trees at harvest, etc. etc. - and ultimately poorer coffee.

for what it's worth, Stir Crazy AND the Coffee Overlords both put up posters for the film.

of course, Coffee Connection is the only place i visited that already has the words "fair trade" on the window, and was also the only one to already have TWO movie posters up. big ups to John for being hip and with it. and English.

fifty points to whomever can steer us back onto our original topic...

:)

i don't drink coffee

I hope this isn't how the Democratic controlled Congress is gonna start off! Infighting !!

BC

Brian:

"Infighting"?? Did I miss something? If I interpreted the thread correctly, it was an honest, open and INTELLIGENT exchange of information and points of view with the ultimate goal of arriving at meaningful change and therefore progress. Let's hope this is EXACTLY how Congress will start to operate. Perhaps the extreme damage done can start to be diminished and we can all wake up from this nightmare....Or do you feel that BLINDLY supporting an unqualified President (who most say will go down in history as "the LEAST INQUISITIVE" man ever to sit in the Oval Office) is the best way to secure stability, security and a palatable future for our next generation?

I would love to attend this meeting, but we will be out of town on Saturday. As for the coffee discussion, I find it a really good one to have and it is very obvious that there are no clean lines. I suspect that the film will highlight some aspects of the industry that will make us coffee drinkers sit up and think, as Jeff has already articulated. At the risk alienating some, despite Starbucks huge size and their corporate identity, they may end up doing more for the environment (even on a local level) than the local coffee shops. I know many of you will jump up and dispute this point, and that is not my intention here. My intention is to say that it is not always black and white. I drink coffee. I support local coffee shops and I also go to Starbucks (though only twice to the OV location). You might want to check out their social responsibility section (I hope it isn't too much greenwashing).

Hey, Just kidding around !

Sorry Brian,

I should have been a little more prudent before I fired off. My bad...

Yeah, cut Brian some slack. He's still nursing the wounds from the beating he took on Tuesday. ;)