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Fair Trade Coffee

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.

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 industry in Crisis

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.

What is Fair Trade Coffee All About?

Fair Trade means an equitable and fair partnership between consumers in North America and producers in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The chief concern of the Fair Trade movement has been to ensure that the vast majority of the world\'s coffee farmers (who are small holders) get a fair price for their harvests in order to achieve a decent living wage. Fair Trade guarantees to poor farmers organized in cooperatives around the world: a living wage (minimum price of $1.26/pound regardless of the volatile market); much needed credit at fair prices; and long term relationships. These fair payments are invested in health care, education, environmental stewardship, and economic independence. Fair Trade Certified coffee is the first product being introduced in the United States with an independently monitored system to ensure that it was produced under fair labor conditions; now we need a movement to demand it!!

Why Fair Trade Certified Coffee Is An Important New Movement:

• It\'s a consumer trend. More and more people care about the conditions of the people who produce the products they buy. Coffee is the first commodity in the United States for which there is an independent monitor that guarantees that producers were paid a fair wage for their product and work in decent conditions -- a real alternative to sweatshops.
• This is a huge industry trend. Across the country, there are over 100 companies that have licensing agreements with TransFair to offer Fair Trade Certified coffee. Major roasters include Starbucks, Tully\'s, Peet\'s, Equal Exchange, Diedrich, and Green Mountain, serving over 7,000 retail locations, with volumes rising every day.
• It\'s an environmental issue. Small farmers are the best stewards of the land. When you support Fair Trade, you support the environment. Fair Trade farmers don\'t have the capital input to clear forests, buy chemical fertilizers and pesticides. They generally grow small plots of mixed-crop, shade grown coffee organically.
• The untold story of the gourmet coffee boom: it\'s leaving small farmers behind. Prices are currently at 8-year lows, falling under $.50 per pound in August 2001 -- yet retail prices stay high, meaning mass industry profits. Fair Trade brings small farmers into the boom.

Understanding Fair Trade

Fair Trade involves the following principles:

• Producers receive a fair price - a living wage. For commodities, farmers receive a stable, minimum price.
• Forced labor and exploitative child labor are not allowed
• Buyers and producers trade under direct long-term relationships
• Producers have access to financial and technical assistance
• Sustainable production techniques are encouraged
• Working conditions are healthy and safe
• Equal employment opportunities are provided for all
• All aspects of trade and production are open to public accountability

In today\'s world economy, where profits rule and small-scale producers are left out of the bargaining process, farmers, craft producers, and other workers are often left without resources or hope for their future. Fair Trade helps exploited producers escape from this cycle and gives them a way to maintain their traditional lifestyles with dignity.

The Fair Trade system benefits over 800,000 farmers organized into cooperatives and unions in 48 countries. Fair Trade has helped farmers provide for their families\' basic needs and invest in community development; however, these farmers are still selling most of their crop outside of the Fair Trade system because not enough companies are buying at Fair Trade prices. Help increase the demand for Fair Trade among companies, retailers, and consumers! Your support of Fair Trade certified products makes a real difference for small-scale producers!

In the USA, TransFair USA places the \"Fair Trade Certified\" label on Fair Trade Products. Fair Trade Certification ensures that workers are paid fair wages, are free from abusive labor practices, and use environmentally sustainable methods.

Starbucks Campaign

Coffee farmers are becoming even more impoverished, going further into debt and losing their land due to extremely low world coffee prices. Meanwhile coffee companies such as Starbucks have not lowered consumer prices but are pocketing the difference, even taking into account the quality premiums in the specialty industry.

According to Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International, Fair Trade farmers sell only about 20% of their coffee at a Fair Trade price. The rest is sold at the world price, due to lack of demand. Demand can be created by large corporations selling Fair Trade.

Since 2000, consumers have been demanding that Starbucks offer BREWED Fair Trade coffee as well as whole bean. Many Starbucks cafes will brew a pot of Fair Trade - but only if specifically asked. Meanwhile Fair Trade Coffee has yet to be promoted as the brewed Coffee of the Day, which is the only way to ensure real volume for Fair Trade Farmers.

What you can do:

• Participate in OCA\'s ongoing campaign to pressure Starbucks to offer rBGH-free milk, ban GMOs, and offer BREWED Fair Trade Certified as Coffee of the Day once a week.
• Download our new Starbucks flyer here (PDF 1.6mb).
• If you are a Starbucks customer, always buy Fair Trade! Tell the Starbucks workers and customers -- our potential allies -- about your commitment to buy only Fair Trade, and keep asking for Fair Trade brewed coffee.
• Gather petitions asking Starbucks to sell Fair Trade brewed coffee.
• Starbucks will offer Fair Trade coffee only at universities where students demand it. Let your voice be heard!
• Get connected with the Fair Trade coffee campaign moderated listserve!
• Read more about Starbucks and Fair Trade in the news.

History:

In 2000, a campaign by thousands of activists across the country pressured Starbucks to carry Fair Trade coffee in all their cafes. See press release and detailed history for more information. As a result, on October 4 Starbucks introduced whole bean Fair Trade Certified coffee at over 2,300 stores, which brought the number of Fair Trade outlets to almost 5,000 nationwide (it\'s currently over 7,500). This is an amazing testament to the power of grassroots Fair Trade activism and the real concrete changes that citizens can make in global trade system when we demand products made under fair labor conditions. This was achieved because of the pressure of our grassroots campaign, including 84 organizations that signed an Open Letter to Starbucks as well as 29 national demonstrations that were planned across the country. Still, people should know that there is no guarantee that coffee without the Fair Trade seal is

not sweatshop coffee.

原文:

http://globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/

http://globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/background.html

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/starbucks.html

译者:

黄钻  05食工4    200530600412