The United States consumes one-fifth of all the
world's coffee, making it the largest consumer in the world. But few
Americans realize that agriculture workers in the coffee industry often
toil in what can be described as "sweatshops in the fields." Many small
coffee farmers receive prices for their coffee that are less than the
costs of production, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debt. Read More
Fair Trade is a viable solution to this crisis, assuring consumers
that the coffee we drink was purchased under fair conditions. To become
Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international
criteria; paying a minimum price per pound of $1.26, providing much
needed credit to farmers, and providing technical assistance such as
help transitioning to organic farming. Fair Trade for coffee farmers
means community development, health, education, and environmental
stewardship.
Coffee prices have plummeted and are currently around $.60-$.70 per
pound. "With world market prices as low as they are right now, we see
that a lot of farmers cannot maintain their families and their land
anymore. We need Fair Trade now more than ever," says Jerónimo Bollen,
Director of Manos Campesinas, a Fair Trade coffee cooperative in
Guatemala. Meanwhile coffee companies have not lowered consumer prices
but are pocketing the difference. "The drastic fall in coffee prices
means, in two words, poverty and hunger for thousands of small
producers in Latin America," says Merling Preza Ramos, Director of
PRODECOOP Fair Trade cooperative in Nicaragua. Learn more about the
coffee crisis by reading Global Exchange's statement.
We believe in a total transformation of the coffee industry, so
that all coffee sold in this country should be Fair Trade Certified, or
if produced on a plantation, that workers' rights should be guaranteed
and independently monitored. Our view includes social justice and
environmental sustainability: all coffee should be certified organic
and shade grown where applicable.