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Over the last few decades or so, many Americans have been shocked to find out that much of our clothing that we wear, has been made in sweat shops around the world, in less then ideal working conditions. In these developing countries, the rights of workers are often violated and conditions are poor. What a lot of people still don't know is that many of our food products that we import, are produced in very much the same way. In very poor working conditions on small farms around the world. This is especially true in the coffee industry.
Coffee is the world's most valuable food commodity, second to all commodities only to oil. According to GLOBAL EXCHANGE, the Fair Trade Association out of San Francisco, there are more then 25 million coffee farm workers working in over 50 countries around the world.. It's very easy to understand the impact coffee has on so many lives. Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Vietnam and Indonesia are the largest coffee producing countries in the world. The United States imports nearly 3 billion pounds of coffee every year.
People who were concerned over the plight of all these farmers and coffee workers, have tried to establish a worldwide governing body to over see that the wealth that the coffee industry produces is distributed fairly. From this concern, came the Fair Trade Movement, which began to emerge in the 1950's. These ATO's ( Alternate Trade Organizations ) were established to promote grassroots development in the coffee industry to start direct and more equitable trade between the farmer and the consumer. The hope was that this would give the very hard working farmers a better life and raise the standard of living in their communities.

THE LIFE OF A COFFEE FARMER:

Most coffee workers work on small family owned farms. Typically these farms are 3 hectares or less and are maintained by the family's own labor. These small farmers are at a distinct disadvantage in the market place, for they have to deal with a middleman to broker his beans. Payment for his harvest is often far less then current market prices. Coffee is also produced on large plantations where the wages are often even less then the legally mandated minimum wage. This is possible because although most of these coffee producing countries have labor laws, the remoteness and rural nature of these farms makes it easy to ignore and sidestep the laws. As a result, working conditions are usually abysmal with workers shanty towns and an inadequate water supply the norm. Most coffee workers are not allowed basic labor rights, including the right to organize. The typical migrant farm worker has little or no healthcare, and usually less then 20% of them has completed even their primary education.
With the small farmer often receiving payment for his harvest that can be less then the cost of production, they often remain in a state of perpetual poverty. With profit margins so thin or even lacking altogether, many farmers are often forced to bring in their children to help in the fields to meet even this minimal survival level. This often leads to a cycle of poverty and debt that can carry on for generations within a family. In both situations, working on a large plantation or on small farms, coffee workers are among the most exploited laborers on earth!

HABITAT OF A COFFEE TREE:

The coffee tree is a small evergreen tree that can grow up to 16 feet tall. The original stock is believed to come from Abyssinia, present day Ethiopia.,and later brought to Arabia. Legend has it that an Ethiopian goat herder noticed his goats had an extra zip in their steps after nibbling on the wild berries of this plant. Soon after, they were trying their hand at growing this stimulating and exotic drink. The mature tree has dark green opposite leaves, and are joined in the spring by showy tubular white flowers bearing a pleasant scent. The fruit that forms are spherical drupes
( kernels or "stone fruit" ) which turn red when ripe. It prefers a shady environment, temperatures between 60-70 F, and alternating periods of rain and drought. Trees usually start producing after the 3rd year and keep producing up to 15 years. Coffee trees flourish in rich mountainside soil, as an under story crop at elevations above 3000 ft. When a coffee tree can find this perfect niche, it will grow healthy and produce the most flavorful beans. Coffee arabica is the species most widely cultivated.
With traditional coffee cultivation, while maintaining this natural niche, a healthy environment is not only available for the trees, but for a lot of other wildlife as well. This sets up a very healthy symbiotic relations between the trees and this wildlife where a natural system of checks and balances can occur. In return for nesting areas, the bees help pollinate and birds help keep the insect population under control. With this natural setting in place, the farmer can then practice sustainable farming techniques, like composting and crop rotation. As the Green Revolution took hold in the 1970 & 80's, in an effort to dramatically increase crop production worldwide, a system of " Technified Agriculture" was established. Large grants were given to Coffee Plantations in Central America and other places to replace traditional shade grown farming techniques with Sun Cultivation. This system grows coffee trees in large open tracts of land in the full sun. Bolstered by chemical fertilizers, and pesticides, this method of growing coffee does indeed increase production,..... but at what cost? The increase in production was mirrored by an equally sharp decrease in the quality of the coffee, the environment and the life of the coffee worker. With this new coffee habitat, deforestation, toxic chemical build-up, and wildlife extinction soon followed.

FAIR TRADE COFFEE - A BETTER CUP COFFEE:

The Fair Trade Movement was established to help counteract these downward trends.
The movement has made a big impact on many different levels in the farming community. With many Fair Trade alliances in place around the world, conditions for the coffee workers as well as their wages , has improved dramatically. Things even changed for the better for the plantation workers in 1988, with the Fair Trade Certification Program. First began in Holland, the Fair Trade Seal was now being offered to more mainstream coffee brokers and roasters, as long as they met the strict standards of fair trade, giving better equity to the workers, keeping the environment healthy and adding to a better life for coffee producing communities. In the U.S.A., Transfair U.S.A. was founded in 1996 and has grown into a strong force in the International Fair Trade Movement. Easier access to credit was opened up to many coffee workers, thus eliminating the need to dumped coffee at below market prices during transitional periods of the growing season.

HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE:

Ask for fair trade products at your grocery store or café. Once a demand for the product is established, the seller is more likely to start offering these great products.

Participate in Fair Trade Conferences. They are held all over the country every year. If not, help organize one in your town.

Invite a guest speaker from some Fair Trade Organization to speak at your school or community.

Become a member of one of the many Fair Trade Organizations. Most have very informative newsletters available.

For further information, check out any of these fine organizations:

International Fair Trade Association - is a federation of producers and alternate trading organizations ( ATO's ) helping to link and promote Fair Trade Organizations

Co-op America is a non-profit consumer education organization for environmentally wise purchasing and investing.

The home of TransFair USA.

Global Exchange:
Headquartered in San Francisco, is a membership based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world.

Fair Trade Resource:
A research and informational center for all things concerned with the Fair Trade Movement.

Oxfam America:
Dedicated to creating lasting solutions to hunger, poverty, and social injustice with impoverished communities around the world

United Students for Fair Trade:
A national student led umbrella organization working to promote and increase demand for fair trade on university campuses.