As she prepares for the fall semester of seventh-grade social studies, teacher Jennifer Eastman-Miller will get her own crash course in international affairs.

Last October, the Venice Middle School teacher learned of a national grant that would give her an opportunity to travel to South America to study how Fair Trade Certified coffee comes to the market. She entered an essay competition with the theme of expanding consumer awareness worldwide, and won.

Her 2 1/2-page paper, “What’s So Fair About Your Trade?,” earned her a spot, along with 10 other educators, on a weeklong trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil, starting July 19.

The experience will provide material for next year’s world culture and geography lesson as she teaches her students how Fair Trade Certified standards improve environmental, economic and social conditions for coffee farmers and their families.

“Students get all kinds of messages about why a product or brand is cool, but there’s very little linkage to the human or environmental impact of the purchases we make,” Eastman-Miller said. “Studying the Fair Trade Certified coffee model in Brazil gives me a rare opportunity to bring real-world lessons on global issues into my classroom.”

Co-sponsors for the trip are Sam’s Club (a company that has offered Fair Trade Certified coffee since 2006), Café Bom Dia (roasters of gourmet Marques de Paiva sustainable coffees and a fourth-generation, family-owned Brazilian business) and TransFair USA (the independent certifier of Fair Trade goods in the U.S.)

Eastman-Miller will have the opportunity to meet farmers, staff members of coffee cooperatives, local teachers and social service providers in southern Brazil, who have farmed coffee before and after Fair Trade certification. Fair Trade Certified coffee is grown by farmers who are paid a minimum guaranteed harvest price in exchange for meeting strict standards on land, water and chemical use.

“I’m especially excited about interacting with the other teachers. I’m excited about meeting the people who produce an item like coffee that is so popular in American culture,” Eastman-Miller said.

This will not be Eastman-Miller’s first time in Brazil. She has already visited Argentina, Paraguay, Mexico, Costa Rice, Belize, Egypt, Kenya and Tanzania. She is brushing up on her Portuguese using CDs and preparing her video camera and tape recorder for the trip. When she returns, she anticipates that her view of fair trade will dually impact her students.

“I believe it’s essential that we teach the next generation to be critical thinkers about the impact of our choices in our own communities and around the world,” Eastman-Miller said. “And I’m also trying to reiterate to students that you should make sure the food you get is safe for your consumption, and that the people who work to make your food are treated fairly.”

After she boards the plane from Miami, Eastman-Miller will see for herself.

  This story appeared in print on page BV4