New Widener Coffee Involves Students, Faculty and Alumni from Cultivation to Cup
Look out Starbucks, Widener University is brewing up a bold plan to support sustainable
agricultural practices with the launch its very own earth-friendly coffee, WU Brew, on Earth Day, April 22.
The purchase of WU Brew supports research and service-learning opportunities for Widener
students to collaborate with farmers in Las Lajas, Costa Rica, where the coffee beans
for Widener's new product are harvested. A group of Widener students and faculty members
recently traveled to Las Lajas for a firsthand look at how the coffee is grown without
pesticides or herbicides and under shade trees to preserve bird habitats. They helped
the farmers with the harvest and also gathered information for further efforts to
help reverse damaging agricultural practices in surrounding areas.
"We're hoping that this project will help us change the face of agriculture when it
comes to growing coffee," said Dr. Stephen Madigosky, professor of environmental science.
"Much of Costa Rica now looks like Iowa for the mass production of crops. We need
to convert these areas back into forests."
It's a unique, global partnership that raises awareness of sustainable agriculture
while providing Widener student with a hands-on education experience and the opportunity
to be part of the driving force in the sustainability movement.
Widener will launch WU Brew on April 22 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in University Center
with a coffee tasting and a meet and greet with the students and faculty members who
traveled to Costa Rica.
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