Coffee farmer Somaili Bissaso in Uganda. Photo by Ben Corey-Moran 2006.

Have you ever stopped and thought about what goes into your morning latte? Yes, you ground the beans or the local barista served it to you, but there’s actually a long journey that coffee follows before it goes into your cup.

Coffee beans grow around the world close to the equator, and are then sold through a series of exporters, distributors, roasters and retailers. Coffee is the second-largest traded commodity in the world. Because it’s such a valuable and important resource, many lives revolve around this small bean. Thanksgiving Coffee Company, for example, an artisan coffee roaster in Northern California, buys from small farms and cooperatives around the world. Its motto, “Not just a cup, but a just cup,” shows its dedication to the fair-trade movement, the health of both the consumers and the workers and a respect for the environment. Thanksgiving Coffee also takes time to share the stories of the family farmers who grow its coffee.

One of the most remarkable stories is that of the Peace Kawomera Cooperative in Uganda. In 2003, JJ Keki, a Jewish coffee farmer, approached his Christian and Muslim neighbors—all struggling coffee farmers—and asked that they put aside their differences and join forces. With the help of Kulanu, a Jewish U.S.-based volunteer organization, the Ugandan farmers formed a cooperative to grow and sell their coffee together. They named their coffee “Mirembe Kawomera,” which means “delicious peace” in Lugandan, the native language of Uganda. Not only do they produce delicious coffee, but they also make delicious peace as a community, as their name suggests.

“These Ugandan farmers recognized the opportunity to join together and do something collectively that no individual farmer could do on [his] own,” says Jenais Zarlin, project director of Mirembe Kawomera. “By choosing to put their differences aside and view one another as assets, rather than competition, they became a model for the world—sending a message that prosperity through peace is possible. That’s a really beautiful idea and message.”

Since 2003, Mirembe Kawomera has expanded to nearly 1,000 member farmers and sells exclusively to Thanksgiving Coffee Company. Thanksgiving Coffee buys from the farmers at four times the price the farmers received before forming the cooperative. Thanksgiving Coffee also has a unique profit-sharing agreement with the Peace Kawomera Cooperative. In addition to buying at above fair-trade prices, Thanksgiving Coffee gives the cooperative $1 from every package of Mirembe Kawomera coffee that’s sold. The benefits of the Peace Kawomera Cooperative, its partnership with Thanksgiving Coffee and the entire fair-trade movement are already visible. Many farmers are now able to send their children to school, and some have started savings accounts, thus ensuring a brighter future for their children and community.

Mirembe Kawomera has not only helped to bridge the religious gap between its members, but also the gap between consumer and producer. “We have been fortunate to visit the Peace Kawomera Cooperative in Uganda, as well as bring some of the farmers to the United States,” says Jenais. “It’s amazing for people to meet someone who grows the coffee they drink at home. It draws us together as a global community and tangibly creates our connections to one another.”

As consumers, it’s our responsibility to internalize stories like this, and to learn where our food actually comes from. “Teenagers are the future of consumerism—most are already an integral part,” adds Jenais. “If teens are conscious consumers, ask questions and think about good business practices, it will change the future of business. For teens everywhere to say, ‘I care about where the things I buy come from, I care about how they were produced and I’m confident that the people involved were paid fairly,’ is hugely important. It will dictate how businesses will improve practices to meet your demands as consumers.”

So arm yourself with knowledge about your food! Learn where your coffee came from, and take a look at the labels on it. When purchasing coffee, check if it’s organic, shade grown and fair-trade certified, which promotes ethical practices in agriculture. And keep sharing stories like this. “We chose to share the story of Mirembe Kawomera’s ‘Delicious Peace’ coffee person to person, rather than have it sold in stores where the cooperative’s story could get lost,” Jenais says. “This means both the farmers and Thanksgiving Coffee Company are relying on everyone who hears this inspiring story to keep sharing it.”

Naomi Heisler is a senior at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester in New York. She plans to attend McGill University in Montreal next year and hopes to major in international relations.