cherries are measured and the picker is paid

Coffee is a commodity in America second only to oil, with approximately twenty five million farmers and coffee workers in over fifty countries worldwide (GlobalX). Traditionally, coffee was traded as a currency but then became an international cash crop. Most people think the best coffee is grown in Columbia but the fact is that the majority of coffee is grown in Brazil. The annual consumption of coffee is about twelve billion pounds. With all this money moving around it breeds corruption. The price of coffee is not as regulated as that of oil and the prices are set according to the New York “c” contract market.

This trickles down to the farmers who have no incentive to pay premiums for their crop, who in turn pass that down to their workers with cheap labor and poor pay. Fair Trade coffee supports the farmer by giving the farmer a fair price for their coffee so that they can pay their workers’ wages and still earn enough to live on (FHF).

Not only are workers paid very little but they are often subject to horrific working conditions. By choosing Fair Trade Coffee, you are ensuring that those who produced your coffee were treated fairly and did not suffer in the processes. With the Fair Trade Seal you are also ensuring that plantation workers were paid a fair wage. (Coffee Workers Suffering)

The price of coffee fluctuates wildly in this speculative economy, generally hovering around fifty cents per pound. Most coffee is traded by speculators in New York, who trade approximately 8-10 times the amount of actual coffee produced each year (GlobalX). The price fluctuation is almost entirely based on the weather in Brazil and social and economic strife that happens within the country. Therefore, if the coffee is sold for a low price the farmer has little money to pay bills and expenses, and this is passed down to the workers in the fields who – already paid poorly – must take part of the sacrifice off the farmer.

coffee being washed after fermentation

This does not only affect the farmer and his workers, but the entire community. Where a large coffee plantation supports a village, families and children feel the stress of a poor crop or low coffee prices. In turn, children may get fewer supplies for education and teachers may get less pay. Fair Trade ensures that the global cost of coffee is regulated to ensure that communities do not suffer from poor prices. Some key fair trade principles are:

Market Access for Marginalized Producers -- Fair trade helps producers realize the social benefits to their communities for traditional forms of production.

Sustainable and Equitable Trading Relationships -- Trading terms offered by Fair Trade buyers enable producers and workers to maintain a sustainable livelihood; that is one that not only meets day-to-day needs for economic, social and environmental wellbeing but that also enables improved conditions in the future.

Capacity Building and Empowerment -- Fair Trade relationships assist producer organizations to understand more about market conditions and trends and to develop knowledge, skills, and resources to exert more control and influence over their lives.

Consumer Awareness Raising and Advocacy -- Consumer support enables Fair Trade Organizations to be advocates and campaigners for wider reform of international trading rules, to achieve the ultimate goal of a just and equitable global trading system. (Wikipedia.org)

Particularly important is consumer awareness and the raising of advocacy. As a coffee drinker you have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to educate others about the fair trade of coffee and how it benefits the lives of the hard working farmers and communities essential to the coffee trade.

There are some coffee companies, however, who don't operate under the Fair Trade Seal, and some of them do much more for the plantation workers than anyone would have thought possible. Consider Plantation Direct coffee, which is produced to comply with the ETI (the Ethical Trade Initiative). That means the coffee can be traced from the grower all the way through to the roaster. An extra 20% premium goes right back to the farmers in Honduras where the coffee is grown, as well. They farm traditionally, which means that they use sustainability tactics and traditional farming. They're protecting their environment and growing wonderful coffee at the same time. With complete traceability and the ethical environment in which the coffee is grown (and paid for), it's becoming very strong movement today.
(Ethical Coffee)
(Bellatazza)
If you know of any others please let us know so that we can list them here.

enjoy...

Another source of Plantation Direct coffee is the Intelligensia Coffee company, based in Chicago. The coffee from that company is not Fair Trade certified, but it is big on sustainability and fairness. To get those things, the coffee producers need to earn more than enough profit to just 'get by,' and the coffee has to be grown so that it doesn't hurt the fragile ecosystem. With the Fair Trade certification there are a great many rules to be followed, and all those hoops to jump through ultimately take money from the pockets of hard-working farmers who just want a fair price for their labor, just like we all do. Not having a Fair Trade seal doesn't mean that you're not trading fairly. (an intelligentsia email)

Not having a Fair Trade seal doesn't mean
that you're not trading fairly.