SIFE creates custom fair trade coffee
ISSUE: 02/28/07 > news > sife creates custom fair trade coffee
Belmont University’s Students in Free Enterprise chapter sponsored a convocation event with Conexion Americas, a nonprofit organization that benefits the local Hispanic community, on Feb. 26.
SIFE partnered with Conexion Americas and coffee growers in Central and South America (through Bongo Java) to create the ideal coffee blend, said John Gonas, the faculty advisor for SIFE and an assistant professor for the School of Business.
“We wanted to create a business, use it to teach entrepreneurship to Hispanics and Belmont and finally give the business to the Hispanics, though SIFE will control it for an unlimited amount of time,” he said.
The idea behind the business was to create a free-trade coffee, said JonEric Pettersson, project leader for the venture. Free-trade coffee directly benefits the growers because it offers them a fair price for their coffee, which is often higher than what the legal rate per pound is.
“It allows [growers] to sustain themselves, and it has a direct effect on their living standards,” said Gonas.
At the convo, Bob Bernstein, Bongo Java’s owner, talked about fair trade, and attendees were also given the opportunity to taste the three blends created: light roast, dark roast and decaf. Coffee was also sold at the convo for $8-10/pound.
Members of SIFE will market the blend and give proceeds to Conexion Americas, which will give them a “profit tool” for making money, said Pettersson.
Most of all, the goal of the business is to teach people about entrepreneurship and provide more money to the coffee growers.
“We want to give [growers] strong wages and provide a learning opportunity for Belmont and the Hispanic community,” said Gonas.
SIFE, which is on 1,000 campuses nationwide, has only been at Belmont for two years. However, it has 23 members in varying majors and is involved in 16 projects right now, said Gonas. It focuses on teaching market economics, success skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy and business ethics. Projects include everything from teaching financial literacy to high schools to working with women to teach them how to run a business by making their own crafts.
“We learn about it and actually get it done,” said Pettersson. “We’re not just being told what to do.”
To buy the new coffee blend, contact Pettersson at (817) 999-1149. To learn more about and get involved in SIFE, contact Gonas at (615) 460-6907.
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