Sixty Congress Members Petition Starbucks for Fair Trade Coffee in their Cafeteria

From Roll Call (Congressional Newspaper in Washington, DC)

http://www.rollcall.com/pages/columns/hoh/

August 9, 2001

Liberal Latte. Controversy is brewing in the House over whether Starbucks should be serving a more politically correct "fair-trade certified" coffee in all of the chamber's dining establishments.

More than 60 Members, led by liberal Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), have fired off a letter to Guest Services urging that the switch to the bleeding-heart blend be made.

"We believe that our Congressional staffers and employees should have the opportunity to purchase Fair Trade Certified coffee in our office buildings so that they can be sure that the farmers who grew their coffee were compensated fairly," the lawmakers wrote last week to Elizabeth Stankewich, director of Guest Services.

Guest Services, which manages food services in the House and the Supreme Court, among other places, serves more than 300 pounds of brewed Starbucks coffee each week in House facilities.

Liberals consider the certified java to be more socially responsible because it is not produced in a way that exploits workers, their children or the environment. In other words it's Joe that's kind to the average Joe.

According to its supporters, farmers who grow fair-trade coffee earn four times as much as those who grow the non-fair-trade variety. Fair-trade farmers receive $1.26 per pound, while non-fair-trade farmers collect 60 cents per pound - half of which is turned over to middlemen.

"Members of Congress and Hill staff have considerable reasons to start their mornings with fair-trade coffee," said Brown. "This brand of coffee yields small farmers greater returns for their harvest, benefits developing economies and rewards businesses that observe strong environmental practices."

He added, "It is caffeine consumption with a conscience."

However, John Feehery, a spokesman for Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), told HOH that Democrats should butt out of Starbuck's business.

"Sometimes a cup of coffee is just a cup of coffee," he said with a laugh. "They oughta find some better things to worry about."

Miller and Brown, however, are moving full steam ahead. They're now gathering signatures on a second letter to Starbucks, urging the company to sell brewed fair-trade coffee at all its 2,700-plus retail outlets in the

United States.

With a decision from Guest Services expected as soon as this week, Miller spokesman Dan Weiss said staffers will not have to worry about a price increase if the lefties get their way. He's been assured that the new blend would result in either "no increase or one penny per cup."