GBLS 1101: Introduction to Global Studies: Streaming Video

This highly acclaimed documentary follows a manager from an Ethiopian coffee-farmers cooperative as he tries to negotiate a living wage for the growers he represents. The film explores issues of globalization, fair trade, and the impact of Western consumerism on the rest of the world as it makes the provocative point that international commodities markets are deliberately rigged against developing countries. (77 minutes)

By following the trail of two coffee beans grown in the Peruvian Andes, this program takes a unique look at the ubiquitous stimulant which, after oil, is the most globally traded commodity. (50 minutes)

The video clearly demonstrates that behind every pound of coffee lies a story of human struggle. (Portions have English subtitles, 26 minutes

Viewers are shown scenes of coffee growing, processing, and packaging—in addition to the crowning of a regional “Coffee Queen”—that help develop vocabulary and usage while building awareness of a vital aspect of Latin American culture. (Spanish and English, 14 minutes)