Hugh Jackman’s Mission To Improve Coffee Fair Trade Comes Alive in Dukale’s Dream 

We dream of Hugh Jackman after seeing him in as the Ab-bearing Wolverine in the X Men movies. But, what is Hugh Jackman dreaming of? Jackman is dreaming of a world which understands the value of fair trade coffee. 

What is fair trade? 

Before we tell you about how Jackman is going about educating the world on fair trade coffee, let’s get vocabulary out of the way. 

Fair trade is a movement in which activists try to help producers in developing countries establish better trading conditions for their products. Many advocates argue that buyers should pay higher prices to producers, as well as ensure regulated social and environmental practices. Fair trade practices are commonly advocated in tea, coffee, sugar, honey, cotton and wine production.

The Seed

Hugh Jackman, who has long been lauded for his involvement with humanitarian aid and his wife, Deborra-lee Furness travelled to Ethiopia in 2009 as ambassadors for World Vision Australia to see how World Vision was working with and empowering rural communities. 

In the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia, Jackman met Dukale, a 27 year old coffee farmer. By spending time on Dukale’s farm, Jackman came to understand the immense value of fair trade as well as how Dukale had cultivated a bio-farm with a minimal carbon footprint. During his stay, his attachment to Dukale grew and he came to understand his personal struggles, and the importance of maintaining a coffee farm to ensure a future for his children. 

Jackman and Dukale’s bond became so close, that Dukale invited him to plant some coffee seedlings on his farm. Jackman named two of the seedlings after his two children; Oscar and Ava. 

Laughing Man Coffee & Tea

After returning home, Jackman was invited to speak about his experiences at the United Nations Climate Week, where he made an impassioned speech telling his audience “The hero of my story is a young farmer. His name is Dukale. I told him I would do my part; that is why I’m here today.” 

Jackman then went on to set up Laughing Man Coffee & Tea, which allowed him to trade directly with growers and distribute their wares across the US. In a tribute to Dukale, he named a blend of coffee from Dukale’s farm ‘Dukale’s Blend.’

Dukale’s Dream 

Dukale’s Dream, directed by Josh Rothstein, tells the story of Jackman’s journey and his meeting with Dukale.  “Dukale and Hugh’s realities were world’s apart,” said Jackman’s wife, “it was so beautiful to see a real connection between them.” While the documentary is a lovely tale of friendship, it also helps the viewer understand the situation in Ethiopia related to coffee farming. Creating awareness of the situations – that was Jackman’s dream.

Watch the trailer for Dukale’s Dream below!