You may have noticed on the back of a KG bag that we support safe places for victims of human trafficking through BGR. You may be asking yourself what human trafficking has to do with coffee. It’s a good question with a tragic answer.
The coffee industry is a tough industry. Coffee is bought and sold as a commodity and much of what is consumed is produced on very small, family-owned farms. The livelihoods of those families are traded daily on markets by people whom they will never meet and those people will never see the impact their financial decisions are having on the farmer and his family. The market doesn’t see the faces; it doesn’t empathize or even sympathize with the plight of the farmer. The cruelty is blind, cyclical, and imprisoning.
In my travels and work with farmers around the globe, I’ve met families that have lost children to traffickers, families whose children were taken to pay off debts to moneylenders. families whose children were lost when they got separated during harvest season and likely sold.
There are so many reasons why the Body of Christ must not become complacent and accepting of such injustice. People are sacred, individual creations of God. Families are a biblical institution just as the Church is and it must be respected and cherished.
January is designated National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. I pray you will make ending the daily tragedy of human trafficking a matter of daily prayer. Please support anti-trafficking organizations and efforts at all levels, from the highest levels of government to each individual involved. Please also support organizations that help victims recover from trafficking physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.
From our very beginning, Kingdom Growers has had a committed partnership with BGR. We’ve seen their support and work in these anti-trafficking efforts firsthand. This month, a portion of all merchandise sales will be given to BGR to support these efforts. You can learn more about BGR at www.gobgr.org .
Kingdom Growers 