It’s Monday afternoon, do you know where your coffee has been?  In an admirable effort to help improve  environmental and working conditions for coffee production, Starbucks plans to double their purchase of fair trade certified coffee to 40 million pounds in 2009.  As the name suggests, fair trade products are certified to ensure that workers recieve adequate compensation for their product, and that they are produced in an environmental sensitive manner.  While I’m a big fan of Gorilla Coffee (NY) and Groundwork (LA), I’m glad to see that the big ol’ Seattle giant is throwing his hat into the ring, as their size can greatly influence the industry.

takepart by making your next pot o’ joe from Fair Trade beans.

And check out Alton Brown’s handy lesson on brewing up a delicious cup:

Last week Sarah’s Social Action Snapshot alerted us to the need for Whole Foods to guaranteeing worker’s rights and fair trade practices by supporting the United Farm Workers.   Impressively, thousands of people showed their support by signing the UFW’s petition, and this weekend the Organic Consumers Association is bringing it to the streets by asking volunteers to leaflet Whole Foods and demand the store lives up to it’s claim of social responsibility.   The OCA makes the message clear:

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Yesterday was MayDay (as Katie pointed out) and so we can reflect on the struggles of workers and the power of protest and action I wanted to share the following video by the Meerkat Media Arts Collective, a group that wants to create a permeable creative community, where everyone’s voice is heard, where they bear the weight of our collective stories together, where they adapt to the needs of each other, where everyone is inspired and stimulated to create and extend and collaborate - and they do that through making awesome movies a lot of the time:

Also - I’m a Meerkat! Go below the fold to some more of our work:

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Being in love with more than one person at the same time is risky business. Yet these 5 couples have it all: they are able to love more than one person without causing the broken hearts and dishes that often accompany polyamorous relationships. What’s their trick? They love each other AND the planet, human rights, and civil rights, and they take action to make the world a better place together. Because these lovebirds bring so much love to each other and the world, because their heart-felt hard work has won my heart, I’d like to give them a Valiant Valentine Award (VVA).

Today’s Valiant Valentine, which kicks off my 5-part Valentine’s week-long series, goes to a couple who has already received a few awards here and there, though none as prestigious as the VVA. She’s a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador who scored Academy Awards, and awards from Amnesty International and The Center for Constitutional Rights. He’s no small potatoes either, having won his own Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Best actor “Prix” at Cannes.

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Woody Guthrie, the legendary folk singer and social activist died in a hospital in Queens, New York in 1967. And yet, over 40 years later, Guthrie is up for a Grammy. The album being nominated for Best Historical Record is The Live Wire - Woody Guthrie In Performance 1949. Although the recordings were made half a century ago, this album is a recent creation. In 2001, The Woody Guthrie Archives received 2 spools of wire recordings documenting a live Woody Guthrie performance held in Newark, New Jersey in 1949. Thanks to many talented recording engineers, the Foundation transferred and restored the live performance from a delicate wire recording to digital audio. The timelessness of Woody Guthrie is reflected by the timelessness of his music. His songs about migrant workers (Deportee), economic depression, workers’ rights (Pastures of Plenty), and war are as relevant today as they ever were.

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Mehedi Hasan, a field investigator for the Washington D.C.-based Worker Rights Consortium, went to Bangladesh to investigate some of the country’s 3,000 garment factories and to advocate for the rights of its more than 2 million workers, mostly women, who make the clothing we wear. Today, we must investigate the conditions under which Hasan is held, and we must protect his rights. Hasan, was arrested on Thursday 24th January by the Bangladesh security forces accused of instigating garment workers. He has not been allowed to see his family since. The military-backed interim government has been harassing and cracking down on workers and organizers. Unions are illegal, the security forces operate under emergency rules and most civil rights remain suspended. Less than 5% of the Bangladesh garment industry complies with international labour standards. If you see an “I love my Wal-Mart” shirt, it may have been made by children aged 10 to 13 making less than 10¢ an hour. Hasan is only the latest victim. So and demand the immediate release of Mehedi Hasan.

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