Hello baristas, shop owners, and coffee enthusiasts. Are you interested in or employed in the ethical coffee movement? Do you buy or sell fair trade, direct trade, or otherwise socially responsible coffee? If so, consider helping me with my research on the ethical coffee market (fair trade, organic, direct trade, socially responsible, etc).

I'm a graduate student in sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I'm researching the production, sale, and consumption of ethical coffee. I am interviewing consumers and those in the industry across the nation about why they buy it, how it is perceived as different from conventional coffee, and in what ways such choices affect coffee farmers.

If you are affiliated with an ethical coffee serving establishment, consider posting a flyer for me to recruit consumers.

If you are a consumer of ethical coffee and are willing to be interviewed, please drop me a line at nickilcole@umail.ucsb.edu, and you can also view my website www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~nickilcole/current%20research.html

I'll be in the following locations in the fall, and would love to interview people in person when possible, but welcome phone interviews too.

Seattle: October 5 through 18
Portland, OR: October 20 through November 2
San Francisco/Bay: November 3 through 16

Please be in touch for more information!


Peace,
Nicki