AGRO Cafe - Coffee with a Cause!
Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to sit down for a coffee with the founder/owner of AGRO Cafe, a fair trade/organic coffee shop in Yaletown. Both being graduates of the same faculty at UBC, we chatted a bit about people we both know and other goings on in the faculty, and then proceeded to talk about coffee for over 2 hours! The reason for this is that AGRO Cafe is not just a coffee shop - it's about, to quote their website, "the total coffee experience." They have a unique "Crop2Cup" system where they personally know (and trade fairly with) the farmers from developing countries who grow the coffee they sell. And they want more than just for you to drop by and grab a cup of joe - they give you the opportunity to learn more about where coffee comes from, how it is processed, and all kinds of other cool things. When I was there, there was a documentary about the coffee industry playing in the coffee shop, there was talk of having coffee tastings (like wine tastings, but learning to differentiate the different flavour characteristics of different coffees) and for the truly curious, you can check out their website which has tonnes of information about coffee from Crop2Cup (and everything in between)! Another thing that I think is really cool about AGRO Cafe is that the idea for it came about when the founder was taking an agriculture course at UBC - it's one thing to learn about concepts like sustainability and social responsibility in an educational setting, but to see someone run with that and create a business that embodies these principles is pretty amazing!
And lastly, but surely not least, I am pleased to report that the coffee was delicious! So, next time you are in Yaletown, I recommend dropping by AGRO Cafe and trying one of their tasty coffees. And hey - bring your own travel mug if you are getting your coffee "to go"!
