Project 1: Phase 1.5

As soon as I read the description for Assignment 1, I knew I would seek out an ingredient linked to an exotic place, a social issue or a health benefit. For my publication, I've chosen National Geographic.
I like the dimensions of the magazine and the opportunities it gives me in terms of photography.

IDEA 1:

Ingredient: Coffee

Audience: International Coffee-drinkers/buyers

Purpose: Increase awareness of the benefits of fair trade coffee. Fair trade coffee is purchased at a higher price, from growers with better working conditions. Points of interest could include a general picture of conditions on a coffee farm, typical number of hours worked, wages earned, a description of workers home-lives. Cost of coffee vs. the cost of production/farming.

Possible interesting ways to accomplish this: 
- How much a cup of coffee does for you, how little it does for farmers?
- Compare the average cost of a cup of coffee to the hourly wages of coffee farmers.
- Some comparison of the environments we typically enjoy a cup of coffee in vs. the conditions of a coffee farm.
- Guilt-free coffee, added joy in knowing you've purchased from a responsible grower.

Additional Items: Profile of a coffee farmer and statistics on worldwide coffee consumption- maybe a graph or chart.

Links/Sources:
http://www.fairtradeusa.org/products-partners/coffee?gclid=CJ3lm7y_s7ICFYhM4AodLH8A3w
http://www.globalexchange.org/fairtrade/coffee/cooperatives
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade_coffee#Popularity
http://www.thenation.com/article/169515/brawl-over-fair-trade-coffee#

ADDITIONAL IDEAS (coffee variations): 

1. Discuss health benefits and risks associated with coffee and choose a medical publication (it's more likely that benefits outweigh risks.)

2. Target leading coffee industries rather than individual consumers and discuss how corporations could benefit from buying from fair trade growers- is it worth it?