Drinking Fair Trade Coffee

Last evening, we had occasion to be in town somewhat early for a meeting and found ourselves looking to kill some time over a decent cup of coffee. I was pleasantly surprised to spot the outlet pictured below or one very much like it.

I had heard of Bridgehead once before, actually from a textbook from the World Issues geography courses that I was once taught. In a section on global disparity, the free trade concept received some attention, and Bridgehead was one of the free traders that was mentioned. The following blurb from their own website introduces them well enough.

We are a specialty coffee company that offers 100% fairly traded and organic coffees and teas. We link customers with small-scale farmers in developing countries through fair trade coffee and tea. And we are committed to providing excellent quality products from responsible and progressive sources at reasonable prices.

They appear to be a small outfit. If I am reading their website correctly, they have only five coffee shops, all in the Ottawa area. The one that we entered on Elgin Street was full of university types. Many were diligently labouring over their laptops; others were poring over printed essays — apparently reading and editing.

The coffee was very robust, more so than I am used to. I was appreciative of about third of a cup before it was time ago, but not so appreciative that I was inclined to carry the rest with to the meeting which I was about to attend because it was a little strong for my acquired taste. I did have the feeling, however, that I was consuming coffee as it was meant to taste, and I also felt that my choice was doing more good than harm to both humanity and the environment. Would that we more often had the opportunity to make such choices.