NEWS

CEO of Brooklyn Roasting Company visits ICU Campus and Gives a Lecture Hosted by SSRI

Update: October 3, 2023

Jim Munson, CEO of Brooklyn Roasting Company (BRC), visited and gave a guest lecture to students at ICU on Friday, September 29. In his presentation, Munson emphasized BRC's commitment to the belief that "making delicious coffee is about being kind to the earth and to people,'' and stated that BRC will continue to operate with environmental sustainability at the forefront of their mind. Munson graduated from an American liberal arts college and is also the founder of BRC.

After a light conversation with President Iwakiri, Munson and BRC's Japan Corporation staff visited Café Ilion, ICU's cafe which uses BRC's fair trade beans located on the first floor of Troyer Memorial Arts and Sciences Hall, and walked around campus on an eco-campus tour led by students from the SDGs Promotion Office.

Munson then gave a lecture on environmental protection and coffee production to students, hosted by ICU's Social Science Research Institute (SSRI). He introduced social and environmental issues involved in coffee production and also talked about the daily lives of coffee workers that he saw first-hand during his travels. In order to make the coffee we know and love more environmentally friendly, BRC has adopted reusable packaging. They also proactively reuse and recycle materials within their facilities, and aim for the sustainable development of small-scale producers and workers in developing countries in accordance with international fair trade standards.

Students' comments on the lecture displayed heightened appreciation and interest in the topic:

"I've found that it is important and necessary to guarantee the wage of coffee farmers and to certificy the situation through the Fair Trade Certified Label or other similar mechanisms to make people realize the process of coffee trade."

"I was interested in what he mentioned about how coffee should be "accessible, and not exclusive." I also think that good quality coffee should be friendly and accessible to everyone."

"It was inspiring to listen to an entrepreneur who sustainably manages a coffee company despite various deep rooted challenges."