I'm still getting cynics on this subject, but here we go with number 2.

Today's topic is......Coffee.

I think everyone knows about how unfair this particular trade is. You've got big, multinational conglomerates forcing the price of beans down, not to mention the middlemen who all take their cut. This all means that the individual farmers are getting less for their crop and sinking into deeper poverty - they can't pay for food, healthcare, education or to repair their homes.

I don't care what anyone says - this is unfair. Not to mention the attitudes of some plantations who don't give the workers on their estates a fair deal. I could also go on about certain companies policies on the distribution of baby milk to areas where there's a lack of clean water to make it up (not to mention the fact that a) the baby milk powder is expensive and b) addicted babies won't go back to breastmilk) which means babies get diarrhoea - which, by the way, can kill. And I won't mention the tariffs again, which make it more expensive to export the finished product, but cheaper to export the raw material - which is cheaper. Fair? I think not....

So what can you do to make a difference: Buy fair trade coffee. There's loads of it about, both with caffeine and without. Clipper, Percol Kids, etc etc etc. All Co-op own brand coffee is now fair trade - and it's the same price as the regular brand. We all drink too much of it anyway, so buy fair trade (more expensive), enjoy decent coffee, make a difference, drink less of it and save your own health! Also, shun the coffee house! Drink coffee at home or at your friends' places instead - or take it with you.

Fair Trade gives people an opportunity to get a decent price and most of the fair trade companies also help to get health and social programmes up and running and give assistance with building community centres, schools etc.

Doing this today, buying Fair Trade coffee - and getting your friends to do this as well, will start making a difference. And think of it this way; the more people encouraged to do this will eventually start to hurt major companies where they least want it - in their pockets. Hit them hard enoungh financially, and they will have to see the light and change their attitudes (but we have to work on tariffs too!)

A lot of people making small changes to their lives which we can afford can change the world. And this is what you can do today to help Make Poverty History.