Everybody’s favourite pick-me-up

1. Give out first article (about everybody’s favourite pick-me-up).

-go through language.
-each st thinks of 3 questions – then discuss them with the other 2 people next
to you.

2. at the bottom of the same sheet, sts match the coffee facts. +
compare/discuss with partner.
3. 2-minute debates. Have them cut out so that sts can pass around (or
move sts around!)
-m/w get the language below onto the board

A stimulant cold coffee = revolting

It gives me a good kick/a liftit gives me the shakes
Bitter taste
It gives me a migrane

4. following on from the idea of Fair Trade vs Free Trade, first of all, what’s
the difference?
-look at the 10 questions/queries related to how effective fair trade is. What do
you think about this?

5. ways that you can buy fair trade in Bs.As.

6. the moral dilemma:
-is it immoral not to buy fair trade?
-should we care about the developing world?
-We have enough coffee and food in the world, why are some of us starving?

Coffee is good for you…

BNE: Coffee, everybody’s favorite morning pick-me-up, is good for you. That is the
conclusion drawn by researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. A team
led by Dr. Joe Vinson determined coffee to be a rich source of antioxidants and the
biggest provider of these essential vitamins in the U.S. diet. Antioxidants are believed
to help battle cancer and contribute to an array of additional health benefits including
minimizing cell damage and the effects of aging. They are particularly abundant in
fruits and vegetables. Dr. Vinson said both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee
provides similar antioxidant levels. He emphasized moderation and recommended no
more than two cups a day. He stated black tea was a good alternative to coffee.

Vinson analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items and
common beverages. Coffee finished top on the basis of serving size and frequency of
consumption. He qualified his findings by urging people not to rely on coffee as a
health drink. He stressed that high antioxidant levels in foods and drinks do not
necessarily translate into high levels found in the body. The potential health benefits
ultimately depend on how antioxidants are absorbed and utilized in our bodies. The
known downsides of coffee are that it makes you jittery, causes stomach pains, elevates
blood pressure and can lead to heart problems. Vinson said more research is needed to
firmly establish its health benefits.

Match the following facts and discuss with your partner

a. The word coffee was 43 per cent of German drinkers add a

Coffee is the second most
One coffee tree yields just
per cent
Brazil is the largest coffee-
Over 53 countries
We use the term “coffee beans”
b. 27 per cent of U.S. coffee drinkers and
petroleum.
October 1st is the official Coffee
c. 25 million families around
Each
sweetener to their coffee.
the world work in coffee fields.
producing nation, accounting for 40
of total world output.
producing nation
half a kilo of roasted coffee.
grow coffee worldwide.
traded product in the world after
originally Arabic and means “excitement.”
even though they come from berries.
berry has two beans.

d. 1. The targeted gourmet coffee farmer who needs fair trade owns a
farm less than 10 acres; his family runs and works the farm, they live in a
third world country or remotely up in the mountains of a central America
country like Brazil. They get about $.65 cents per pound without fair trade
and make less than $10,000 annually. They desperately need fair trade to
get out of their poverty.
e. 2. Without phones, newspapers, television, telephones, cell phones,
and in most cases running water and electricity - how does this farmer
even know about " Fair Trade" in the first place?
f. 3. With no savings; no banks; no loans; and no finances how does
this farmer pay the fees to get certified fair trade?
 g. 4. How much advertising does Fair Trade do outside the US? Zero! If
they did where and which media would they use?
h. 5. Interestingly, most of the Fair Trade Coffee Companies in foreign
lands are owned by Americans or large co-ops partially owned and funded
by Americans.
i. 6. Fair Trade doubles the price of coffee the farmer receives but
does nothing to ensure the laborers who work the farm receive any more
money. Hence all the large farms owned by Americans but worked by locals
help the Americans get much richer but do nothing for the local coffee
workers.
j. 7. Fair Trade does not do anything to ensure the coffee is any better
or better quality - it only ensures that the price is higher.
k. 8. Fair Trade is not recognized in China or Russia or Japan or any of
the coffee countries.
l. 9. Fair Trade has helped many Americans feel much better about
themselves.
m. 10. It has done very little to help the farmers who need it the most.
In summary, Fair Trade gives us Americans a false sense of self-worth; it
helps us pay higher prices for poorer coffee; it helps the big and rich
farmers get richer. It does nothing to help the peasant farmer we dream of
helping. And it gives us a false marketing ploy that Fair Trade is actually a
better quality coffee – when in fact it only means it’s a more expensive
gourmet coffee. It causes us to pay too much for bad coffee and to think
Fair Trade means "quality" when it doesn't. It doesn't do anything to help
the labor pool who work on the coffee farms nor stop children from
working on coffee farms. But it has raised up the price of coffee and our
awareness. If only it could be more truthful and helpful.
George Moore
http://welcome-foodanddrink.blogspot.com/2008/05/questioning-truth-about-fair-trade.html
n.
o.
Coffee is better than tea/Tea is better than coffee.

p. Instant coffee is delicious/Instant coffee is horrible.

q. Coffee is very good for the brain/ Coffee is very bad for the
heart.
 r. Espresso and cappuccino are best/ The cups are too small.

s.
t. Starbucks is the greatest coffee shop/You can’t beat the small,
locally owned, traditional coffee shops.

u. Coffee is best for waking you up in the morning/Exercise and a

cold shower are better.

We should buy fair trade coffee and help the poor coffee farmers, not
multi-national coffee companies/Fair trade coffee is too expensive