Students held posters and distributed educational leaflets, and street theatre along with costumes and music was performed. Keep your eyes out for street theatre performers complete with costumes and music. Students will also hold posters and distribute educational leaflets. Fair trade coffee is purchased from co-ops of farmers by companies such as Equal Exchange, which sell directly to distributors and consumers, cutting out middlemen and leaving more income for farmers themselves.
Coffee is the second-most traded commodity on the international market, right after oil.
Money made from fair trade sales is used by communities to fund education, health care, and public facilities. Stable household finances allow children to finish their schooling. Despite the significant economic gains for farmers, consumers see little to no price difference. In 1997, Equal Exchange and IRTF succeeded in convincing Heinens to be the first grocery store chain in the United States to sell Equal Exchange Fair Trade Certified Coffee. Northern Ohio is currently the fourth largest market for fair trade coffee in the United States.