February 26, 2002

Contact: Jessica Cook, Lawrence Fair Trade Coffee Commission, (785) 608-7667, or Laura Adams, (785) 312-3146.

Local coffee roasters featured at KU Fair Trade Expo

LAWRENCE -- In an effort to invite coffee consumers and distributors to discuss and learn about fair-trade coffee, the Lawrence Fair Trade Coffee Commission and KU Green Party are hosts of a Fair Trade Coffee Expo on the University of Kansas campus.

The expo will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 3, in the Kansas Union ballroom.

Fair-trade coffee offers an alternative way to buy and sell coffee; nonprofit organizations set up local cooperatives to work and trade with coffee farmers. This process of trade strives to pay farmers a living wage and directs money away from the middlemen.

The Fair Trade Expo at KU will provide an informal gathering for coffee sellers in the area who participate in fair trade to display their products and educate those who have little experience with it.

PT's Roasterie from Topeka, La Prima Tazza, The Roasterie from Kansas City, Starbucks in the Union and the Community Mercantile will set up tables with samples of fair-trade coffee and informative literature. Information from fair-trade roasters across the nation also will be available.

"We want to make coffee consumers and other coffee shops in the area aware of fair trade and what a difference it can make to coffee growers," said Jessica Cook, Lawrence Fair Trade Coffee Commission member.

Cook said fair trade also promotes organic, shade-grown coffee that is better for the environment and of better quality. These two aspects make fair-trade products a socially responsible choice for consumers, she said. That choice is what the Lawrence Fair Trade Coffee Commission hopes to spread throughout the community.

"We hope to encourage dialogue and learning about fair-trade products and their importance in the Lawrence community," said Laura Adams, Lawrence Fair Trade Coffee Commission member.

The Memorial Union Corporation also is sponsoring the event.