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From YouTube: Sustainable Consumer: Coffee's Story
Description
What does it mean to be a sustainable consumer? Find out how to purchase coffee in an environmentally responsible way!
B
Coffee
is
one
of
the
most
popular
consumed
beverages
in
America
each
year
the
u.s.
spends
40
million
dollars
on
coffee.
It's
a
source
for
75%
of
the
caffeine
consumed
nationwide
each
year,
Americans
drink
400
million
cups
of
coffee
per
day,
equaling
146
billion
cups
of
coffee
per
year.
This
puts
the
u.s.
at
the
leading
consumer
of
coffee
in
the
world
importing
1.6
million
metric
tons
of
it
each
year,
that's
equal
to
the
weight
of
500,000
grown
and
African
elephants
or
nineteen
point.
Five
million
grown
men.
That's
almost
twice
the
size
of
Los
Angeles.
C
Know
coffee
beans
come
from
beautiful
red
berries.
Coffee
plants
are
bushes
and
grow
in
a
native
ecosystem,
full
of
more
than
125
types
of
canopy
trees,
240
species
of
migratory
songbirds
natural
pest
controls.
Tropical
ants,
this
flourishing
ecosystem
of
life
is
the
coffee
beans
home.
But
here
is
the
heartbreak.
As
the
consumption
of
coffee
grows,
the
songbirds
are
disappearing.
The
ants
can't
survive
in
eroded
soil
and
coffees
homeland
is
turning
into
an
industrial
Factory,
because.
A
C
The
coffee
industry,
there
are
three
popular
certifications
that
can
be
branded
to
companies
who
complete
the
required
criteria.
These
certificates
can
ensure
a
number
of
environmentally
and
socially
responsible
behaviors.
The
three
certificates
we
will
look
at
now
are
rainforest
alliance,
fair
trade
and
organic
trade
association.
The.
A
Organic
trade
association
criteria
requires
these
actions
for
coffee
companies,
no
use
of
pesticides,
sustainable
crop
rotation,
techniques
for
punishment
and
conservation
of
soil
fertility
and
guarantees
on
a
percent
organic
coffee.
The
OTA
doesn't
require
any
social
criteria,
but
it
overall
scores
very
well
for
the
environment.
B
Now
the
Fairtrade
certified,
which
requires
greater
equity
in
the
international
trade
as
to
alleviate
poverty,
support
of
local
farms
and
ethical
worker
treatments,
legal
minimum,
wage
health
safety,
etc.
Fair
trade
is
a
large
organization
with
very
ethical
and
clear
goals.
However,
fair
trade
doesn't
require
shade-grown,
coffee,
controlled,
pesticide
or
use
of
organic
methods
of
harvesting
or
farming.
Finally,.
C
A
B
What
is
Folgers
holders
owned
by
Jam
Smuckers
company,
which
also
owned
stock
at
donuts
and
millstone
and
yoli's
smokers
takes
in
300,000
tons
of
coffee?
That's
like
100,000
in
gone
elephants,
less
than
point
zero.
Five
percent
of
that
coffee
is
certified
in
some
way.
For
years.
Smokers
has
continually
declined
to
publish
a
sustainability
report.
However,
in
their
2011
report
they
stated
their
future
goals
to
increase
sustainability
efforts
in
five
years.
What
does
that
mean,
though?
B
Therefore,
decreasing
bird
diversity
by
50%,
as
you
can
see,
Folgers
doesn't
have
any
of
the
three
certifications
or
qualifications
that
come
with
those
major
companies
like
Smuckers
may
be
cheap,
but
when,
in
reality
the
true
cost
is
much
greater
than
that.
So
if
we
want
to
buy
coffee
in
a
sustainable
way,
holder's
is
not
the
way
to
go.
C
Our
second
brand,
which
cost
seven
dollars
and
fifty
five
cents
and
one
of
the
most
popular
companies
nationwide,
is
Starbucks.
Starbucks
has
a
slightly
rocky
past,
but
after
a
boycott
by
the
organic
Consumer,
Association
Starbucks
implemented
fair
trade
policy
to
all
of
its
espresso
tree.
Therefore,
eleven
percent
of
their
sales
are
fairly
traded,
making
them
the
largest
Fairtrade
purchaser
worldwide
Starbucks
has
created
their
own
regulation
certificate
called
cafe,
which
has
the
same
criteria
as
Reports
Alliance
certification.
C
There
is
some
worry
of
how
well
executed
this
policy
is
but
cafes
basic
equation,
business,
product
quality
and
economic
accountability,
plus
social
responsibility
and
environmental
leadership
creates
responsibly
grown,
ethically
traded
coffee.
This
is
all
said
and
done.
If
you
find
yourself
having
to
purchase
from
a
big
name
brand
coffee
organization.
Starbucks
would
be
the
way
to
go.