I'm not really a coffee drinker. I'll have the occasional McDonald's iced coffee, but that's about it. My husband, on the other hand, is somewhat of a coffee connoisseur. Every month we get gourmet coffee delivered right to our door. While Rob insists that this is the best coffee in the world, we are about to make a change. We are going Fair Trade.
The term Fair Trade can be applied to any number of goods. It basically means that:
- * Producers receive a fair price - a living wage for their goods. A minimum floor price is also set and abided by.
- * Forced labor and exploitative child labor are not allowed.
- * Direct trade practices are employed. Importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to strengthen their organizations and become competitive players in the global economy.
- * Producers have access to financial and technical assistance.
- * Sustainable production techniques are encouraged.
- * Community development is a goal. Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like health care, new schools, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification.
- * Equal employment opportunities are provided for all.
- * Transparency is important. All aspects of trade and production are open to public accountability.
Sounds pretty good, right? But what are the real world benefits of Fair Trade coffee? Well, I'm glad you asked.
- * Empowered by the economic stability provided by Fair Trade, members of the COSURCA coffee cooperative in Colombia successfully prevented the cultivation of more than 1,600 acres of coca and poppy, used for the production of illicit drugs.
- * In Papua New Guinea, the AGOGA cooperative, is investing in a medical team to meet the healthcare needs of its isolated rural community.
- * In the highlands of Guatemala, indigenous Tzutuhil Mayans in the La Voz cooperative are sending local kids to college for the first time.
- * Near Lake Titicaca, in Peru, the CECOVASA cooperative is assisting members from Quechua and Aymara indigenous groups in raising coffee quality and transitioning to certified organic production.
Fair Trade coffee is available in most grocery stores and coffee houses. Will Fair Trade coffee cost a little more than the Maxwell House that you usually buy? Maybe. But it seems worth it to me. We are going to start ordering from this company. But there are lots of other online outlets as well as local stores to get it. Look for the Fair Trade logo to know that you are getting certified Fair Trade products.
Please consider switching to Fair Trade coffee. A little change on your part can make a big difference in someone's life.
6 comments:
Sounds like a great idea! A private, yet cooperative effort to bring about change! I'm all for it!
I'm not a coffee drinker but I buy Bigelow Fair Trade Certified Tea that I found at Sam's Club. Truthfully, the reason I originally bought that tea was because it was the only tea that wasn't in a package of like, 10,000 tea bags. But now I have a bunch of other reasons to keep buying it! Thanks for the info Elaine!
Way to go, Fran!
I'm going to play devil's advocate here a bit, with the disclaimer that yes, we do drink fair trade, but probably in part because it is gifted to us and it is, quite frankly, much better tasting.
I love the whole idea of fair trade and making the world better, one step at a time...BUT...what about all the people, (children to elderly, extremely poor) whose only income is working in mass coffee production fields? Yes, they are underpaid and yes, the working conditions are unfair, but if that was one's only option for an income for one's family, and if jobs were so scarce, what person would NOT do that?
I just wonder if all of us jumping on a fair trade wagon is actually hurting the people that we think we are actually helping?
So, in my indecision, we drink fair trade, and then I walk past massive Folgers and Maxwell House cans at the store and buy one, just in case it helps some man keep a job and feed his family for another day.
I just don't think it's possible to know all the facts surrounding the fair trade/coffee industry - it seems to be quite shrouded in secrecy.
Interesting point, Melanie. I guess the most simple response would be that supporting fair trade producers should put pressure on the larger corporations like Folgers and Maxwell House to also participate in fair trade. Maybe that's unrealistic and naive, but it's a common hope among people who start fair trade initiatives (or so I read on the web). I think I read that all of the McDonalds in Europe are switching over to fair trade. As more of the market demands fair trade, the big companies will have to take notice. I'll have to think more about your point though.
Such good points...thank you for bringing this to the front of my mind. The constant thoughts of do I have enough diapers for tomorrow and how am I going to clean those muddy pants and what happened in this room?! tend to shove aside all things whatever the opposite of self-focused is.
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