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Coffee, Trade, Justice: Black Gold
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A Leader’s Guide To A Documentary Film on The Ethiopian Coffee Trade
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Introduction:
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Black Gold is a recent documentary that has received excellent
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reviews. Black Gold asks us “to wake up and smell the coffee,” to face
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the unjust conditions under which our favorite drink is produced and to
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decide what we can do about it. The film traces the tangled trail from the
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two billion cups of coffee consumed each day back to the coffee farmers
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who produce the beans. In particular, It follows Tadesse Meskela as he
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tries to get a living wage for the 70,000 Ethiopian coffee farmers he
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represents. In the process Black Gold provides the most in-depth study of
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any commodity on film today and offers a compelling introduction to the “fair trade” movement engaging consumers
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around the globe.
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Black Gold can be shown in a parish community, in a class room, or in other group settings. The docu-
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mentary can be ordered at http://www.newsreel.org/nav/topics.asp?cat=57&sub=58. You can order a teacher
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preview copy to view the film before purchase.
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In working with this film, you may want to use a process similar to the praxis cycle of awareness, analysis
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and action (“See, Judge and Act”). The amount of time spent in each step of the process will probably vary based on
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your target audience. The steps are:
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Awareness: The purpose of this step is to draw the participants to greater awareness of the situation that
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coffee growers face and the justice issues that these situations involve. In coming to awareness, participants
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can address any previous knowledge about the topic as well as any preconceived ideas or stereotypes.
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Analysis: This step is for further examining the justice issues with the intention of coming to a deeper under-
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standing of the causes and power structures that lead to the injustices in the coffee trade. Analysis will
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require that the group leader is prepared to engage the participants in a critical discussion of issues.
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Action: Action must flow out of analysis, for analysis has little purpose if to does not bring forth action as its
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end result. Actions can take a variety of forms and will depend on the participants in your group.
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Using Black Gold in a Parish Community
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Black Gold could be used by a JustFaith group, or a parish social justice committee during their committee meetings
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or to inform the larger parish of this particular social justice issue. The film would be particularly good for parishes
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that already use/sell or are looking to use/sell fair trade coffee in their parish communities.
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Because the video is an hour and twenty minutes long, to watch and discuss it in one night would probably require at
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least a two hour time commitment or longer if the evening were also to include a prayer service. Another option
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would be to break the process into two or three evenings. Additionally, because the video contains subtitles, it is
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probably best for the group of participants to be limited to a number that can easily see the screen and read the
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subtitles. The following are three different option for viewing the film.
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1 /11 February, 2008 by Sr. Joanne Koehl with Jane Deren

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OPTION A: 3 Evenings To View the Film and Discuss
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Night One: On the first night, participants can engage in the awareness process of the praxis cycle. Some back-
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ground information on the documentary should be presented prior to viewing the film, and then members of the group
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would view the film. This evening would probably be an hour and a half to two hours in length. At the end of this
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evening, some additional reading on the subject could be assigned for the next gathering. A good article to provide
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additional information: “Spilling the Beans on the Coffee Trade.” (www.fairtrade.org.uk.) Also, there is a quiz on
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CST and Trade at the end of this document that provides basic information.
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Night Two: During the second gathering, participants can engage in a process of analysis. By separating the analy-
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sis from the initial viewing of the movie, participants have an opportunity to reflect on their initial reactions to what
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they have seen and learned. Discussion questions are included with this guide, however, leaders should feel free to
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add or change questions as they see fit. The length of this evening’s discussion can vary, but planning for at least an
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hour would probably be fruitful for all involved. In addition, a prayer service could be planned to go with the evening.
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Night Three: The third gathering would be a time for participants to plan and take action. It could be an evening for
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letter writing or for drafting petitions (particularly petitions that could be presented to a larger community to sign),
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addressed to large corporations asking for fair trade items to be added to their product lineup. Members of the group
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can decide if the parish community should be taking action as a whole, such as offering fair trade coffee during
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coffee and donuts, and deciding who would like to work to see that the decisions are implemented. Once again, a
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prayer service could be planned and developed by the group members.
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OPTION B: Two Evenings
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Night One: Night one would focus on awareness and would follow the same format as in Option A above. Some
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background information should be presented by the leader prior to viewing the film, and then members of the group
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would view the film. This evening would probably be an hour and a half to two hours in length. At the end of this
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evening, some additional reading on the subject could be assigned for the next gathering (see suggestions above.)
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Night Two: The second evening of a two-part series would focus on both analysis and action. Once again, by doing
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the analysis at a different time, participants are given an opportunity to reflect on their initial reactions to the film.
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Discussion questions are given below. After the discussion, participants could be encouraged to take action. See
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above for some suggestions on possible actions. The length of this evening’s activities may vary, but overall the
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evening should probably be limited to an hour and a half to two hours.
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OPTION C: One Evening or Half Day
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This option would require a longer evening than the other options because of the length of the film; a half-day work- ○
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shop could also be used. Reflection on participants’ knowledge of the issue and on the film as well as some planning
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for action (see suggestions above) should be included even if shown in one evening.
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A half-day workshop format would allow more time for reflection and action. Breaks (with Fair Trade coffee, if
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possible) should be included in a half-day session. A silent break may be used after viewing the film to give an
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opportunity for some quiet reflection before a group discussion.
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2 /11 February, 2008 by Sr. Joanne Koehl with Jane Deren

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Parish Discussion Questions
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Before the Video - Awareness
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• Do you know how and where coffee is grown and produced?
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• If a cup of coffee sells for $2, how much of the price reflects the actual cost of the coffee?
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• Which companies are the major coffee importers and producers?
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After the Video - Analysis
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• What were your reactions to the film immediately after viewing and then after some reflection?
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• The film sets up contrasts between the first and third worlds in the coffee industry.
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• What is your reaction to seeing the contrasts? Are they something that are taken for granted? Should they be
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taken for granted?
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• What are the major injustices that countries such as Ethiopia face as a result of the coffee crisis?
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• Do you think prejudice plays any role in the coffee crisis or the world’s response to it?
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• If so, how can this be overcome?
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What is the role of cooperatives and fair trade organizations in helping the coffee farmers in countries such
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as Ethiopia?
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• What role does the consumer have in changing the situation in coffee growing countries?
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A sign that was shown in the film from the outside of the school read “Education is the route of develop-
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ment.” Is this true? Can this be true for the children that attend this school? Is education alone helpful if the
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system does not change?
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An official from Malawi said at the WTO meeting in Cancun that trade is more important to his country than
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aid. Can developing countries be helped by aid or trade alone? Is there a balance that can be reached
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between trade and aid that would be most beneficial to those suffering from the coffee crisis?
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What is the world community’s responsibility toward developing countries such as Ethiopia and Malawi?
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Planning for Action
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• What can we do as a community to respond to the situation we have witnessed and discussed?
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• How can we share our new knowledge and awareness with others?
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• How can we integrate our awareness into the prayer life of our faith community?
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3 /11 February, 2008 by Sr. Joanne Koehl with Jane Deren

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Using Black Gold in a School Setting
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High school students are becoming more aware of Free Trade and are also coffee consumers, so this would be an
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interesting film for them to view and reflect on. Because of the subtitles, some classes may have difficulty in follow-
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ing the story line; teachers should preview the film to decide if it will be appropriate for their classes. Viewing options
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follow, including viewing the entire film or viewing part of the film. (Questions for students are on the following
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pages, as are optional activities.)
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OPTION A: Viewing Entire Film
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Two or three days of class time will be required for viewing the video. For this option, consider giving students
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questions to answer while they are viewing the film to keep them engaged. Another class period would be devoted to
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going over the questions with the entire class. Again, the quiz on Catholic Social Teaching and Trade on the following
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pages could be used for more background.
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OPTION B: Viewing Segments of the Film
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For this option, forward the film to the coffee auction in the Ethiopian capital and view to the end of the film. De-
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pending on the length of the class period, this option would probably require two days to view the video Once again,
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viewing questions are recommended. The advantage of this option over Option C, below, is that the piece at the
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coffee auction gives some background on how and where the price of coffee is set, as well as the process of coffee
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sales.
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OPTION C: Viewing 30 Minutes of Film
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Fast forward the film to the tour of the Oromia Coffee Union office and view until the beginning of the section on the
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World Trade Organization meeting in Cancun, Mexico. This option provides the most information in the shortest
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setting, showing the low prices of coffee and its effects, including famine and changing to other crops, as well as
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offering the contrasting images of coffee in the first world countries. Even with this shorter segment it may be
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beneficial to have students answering questions while viewing the film.
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Note: Discussion questions are on page 5 of this document. Additional activities for students are on page 6 of this
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document.
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4 /11 February, 2008 by Sr. Joanne Koehl with Jane Deren

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Discussion Questions
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Before the Film - Awareness
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Do you know how and where coffee is grown and produced?
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• If a cup of coffee sells for $2, how much of that price reflects the actual cost of the coffee?
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• Do you know what companies are the major coffee importers and producers?
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During the Film - Questions to Consider
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• Why is there a lot of coffee just sitting in the warehouse and not being shipped out?
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• How many cups of coffee can be made from 1 kilogram of coffee?
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• Which companies dominate the world’s coffee market?
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• Where is the price of coffee established?
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• How does the price of coffee in New York affect the price of coffee at the Ethiopian coffee auction?
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• Normally how many hands does coffee pass through? How much of the chain is removed by working
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through cooperatives?
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• What is the goal of the Oromia Coffee Union?
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• How much of an increase in price would the farmers need for a good life?
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• When they speak of a better life in the video, what are they speaking of?
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• How long does it take for the coffee trees to mature and produce useful beans?
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• Why do many of the young people stop going to school?
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• Why does the one young man say he does not want to be a coffee farmer?
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• Why does the principal say the school is getting weaker and weaker?
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• Who are the first to be affected by famine? What does it mean when a feeding center starts to treat adults?
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• When speaking about the British customers, what does Mr. Meskela say his hope is?
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• What is chat?
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• Why are Ethiopian farmers tearing up their coffee trees and replacing them with chat?
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5 /11 February, 2008 by Sr. Joanne Koehl with Jane Deren

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How many people in Ethiopia are dependent on emergency food aid each year?
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• What is Mr. Maskela’s reason for going to trade shows?
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• For what should the profits from the fair trade market be used?
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• How much is Africa’s share of world trade? How much would their share have to increase to surpass the
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amount of aid they currently receive?
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After the Video - Analysis
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• What contrasts does the video show between the first world countries and developing countries?
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• Why do some coffee farmers feel driven to replace their coffee plants with other plants, such as chat?
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What do the villagers who are interviewed in the film believe is the major problem with coffee on their end of
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the trade deals? What are the coffee growers looking for?
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• What has led to coffee prices dropping to a 30 year low since 1989?
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• What are the major injustices that countries such as Ethiopia face as a result of the coffee crisis? What is
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the economic impact on the village when coffee prices rise and fall? How is the school impacted by the rise
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and fall of coffee prices? Is famine in coffee producing countries related in any way to the coffee market?
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• What is the role of cooperatives and fair trade organizations in helping the coffee farmers in countries such
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as Ethiopia?
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• What role does the consumer have in changing the situation in coffee growing countries?
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After the Video - Group Discussion / Writing Prompts
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• When you consider the contrasts that are presented in the film, do you think prejudice plays any role in the
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coffee crisis or the world’s response to it? Why? Can this be overcome?
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• A government official from the African country of Malawi said in the film that trade was more important to
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his country than aid. How will increasing trade help the countries in Africa that are suffering from the coffee
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crisis?
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• A sign outside of the school in the film said that “education is the route of development.” How would educa-
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tion help change the unjust system that is a reality in Ethiopia?
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• When more than 7 million people in Ethiopia depend on emergency food aid each year as a result of not
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being able to afford food, what is the world community’s responsibility to respond to this crisis?
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• Relate the Catholic Social Teaching themes of Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, Dignity of Work and
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Rights of Workers, Solidarity, The Call to Family, Community and Participation, and Life and Dignity of the
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Human Person to the film and to the issue of fair trade.
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6 /11 February, 2008 by Sr. Joanne Koehl with Jane Deren

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Additional Classroom Activities
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WTO Town Hall Meeting
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The video presents a segment were delegates are meeting in Cancun, Mexico for the 2002 World Trade Organization
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meeting; representatives from a wide variety of groups were present at this meeting. In this activity, students will
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conduct a similar, town hall discussion so the voices of different interest groups can be heard.
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Divide students into different interest groups:
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International investment organizations (IMF, World Bank, WTO);
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Industrialized countries (U.S., U.K., etc.);
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Developing nations (Ethiopia, Uganda, etc.);
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Transnational corporations (Procter & Gamble, Nestle, Sarah Lee, Philip Morris);
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Cooperatives and fair trade organizations (Equal Exchange, Global Exchange, etc.)
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Based on information gathered from class lectures or outside information (students can research their interest group)
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students would come up with a brief presentation stating their point of view and personal interest in the coffee trade
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issue. Each group will select a spokesperson to represent them on the panel for the meeting and the rest of the group
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will be members of the audience with opportunities to ask questions of the panel from the floor.
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During the town-hall meeting, the teacher will serve as facilitator, keeping time and ensuring order at the meeting.
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Each member of the panel will be given 2-3 minutes to present their position. After each panelist has had time to
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speak, questions will be addressed from the floor to the panelists. The teacher should judge when it is appropriate to
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wrap up the meeting.
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After the meeting, students should be given time to debrief and reflect on the experience. What values were the
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arguments based on? What arguments were compelling, and why? Are there any ways to reconcile interests of
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different groups?
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Letter Writing Campaign
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Have the students research where the major brands of coffee (Nestle, Folgers, Starbucks, Sarah Lee, etc.) buy their
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coffee. They can do this on-line.
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Using the information that they have gathered, students will then develop letters to these companies, urging them to
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add fair trade items to their product lines.
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Students could also research which local stores sell fair trade coffee, and write letters to the stores that do not stock
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fair trade coffee, encouraging them to add fair trade items to what they currently stock.
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This project could be taken a step further to raise public awareness of fair trade issues, by having students make
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posters or flyers that explain the importance of buying fairly traded products and listing places where fair trade items
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could be purchased. Display these in the school and/or in local parishes settings.
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7 /11 February, 2008 by Sr. Joanne Koehl with Jane Deren