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.

公平咖啡贸易

    美国作为世界最大的咖啡消耗国，消耗了世界上五分之一的咖啡。但是大多数美国人，却从不了解在被称作“血泪工厂”的咖啡园内农民们的疾苦。报酬太低，农民们入不敷出，陷于贫穷与债务的深渊中不得翻身。

    公平贸易显然是解决这种不平等状况的良策，它旨在确保咖啡贸易在公平前提下进行，促使进口商为达到一系列国际标准而做出改变，如：收购价格要定在每磅1.26美元以上，要为农民提供所需贷款；以及提供技术支援，如协助他们采取有机方式生产。另一边，根据公平贸易，农民们能得到社区发展、健康、教育以及环境诸方面的帮助。

危机中的咖啡产业

    咖啡收购价现在已经低得令人难以置信——每磅仅为0.6至0.7美元左右。农民难以维持生计，几乎要到变卖土地的境地。

    “这个时候太需要自由贸易了。”Jerónimo Bollen说道，他是危地马拉一家名为Manos Campesinas的咖啡自由贸易组织的主席。

    虽然咖啡收购价十分低廉，咖啡的销售价格却没有相应地降低，其中的差价，进了贸易公司的腰包。

    “咖啡价格的大幅下降，意味着拉丁美洲成千上万的小生产者要陷入贫困与食不保腹。”尼加拉瓜PRODECOOP自由贸易组织主席Merling Preza Ramos这样指出。

    （想知道更多咖啡贸易危机请参照全球交易组织的声明。）

    一场咖啡产业的大变革势在必行，所有原产国的咖啡采购必须纳入公平贸易范畴，而在咖啡园内劳作的工人们，他们的权益也应得到保障和公平的对待。当然这场改革却不能忽视社会效应和环境保护，所有的咖啡必须按照规定，在遮荫地以有机方式进行生产。