Gothamist: Fair is Fair

ab

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:35:33 -0500

re: will April 23, 2007 10:35 AM Will, a few things... 1. The price guanteed to the prodcuer for a commodity is only one aspect of the fair trade system; don't overlook the other aspects of fair trade relationships, including the pre-financing at low interest rates to cover the cost of the harvest. 2. The Fair Trade Certification process requires that coffee producers organize as a cooperative, not a collective as you inaccurately state. The administration of these cooperatives are elected by the member-owners/growers of the coop and are, in fact, often coffee producers. and... re: Posted by: will April 23, 2007 2:37 PM Besides have been privy to hearing directly from fair trade coffee producers that they financially benefit from the Fair Trade system, I have also seen the community projects (medical clinics, water wells, stocked pharmacies, etc) paid for producer cooperatives using the money recieved as their fair Trade social premium.

will

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:37:08 -0500

JL, demanding how coffee farmers organize their businesses doesn't really seem that fair to me. and is there any real evidence that people who grow fair trade beans end up any wealthier than the people who don't?

Still Not Amused

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 13:29:50 -0500

Coffee is the working mans version of crack in a cup !

jonathan

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 13:00:07 -0500

What about .... Smooch 264 Carlton Ave Brooklyn, NY 11205 !!!!!!????????!!!!!

JL

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 12:30:39 -0500

will - there are certainly problems with the "Fair Trade" certification process -- as you mention, farmers have to guarantee a certain level of production, and so smaller farmers have to organize in co-ops to make sure they meet that commitment. having said that, the bottom line is that Fair Trade coffee pays more to farmers than the vast majority of non-certified coffee, so who the hell cares whether or it truly exists only to "assuage upper middle class guilt." Fair Trade is far from perfect and should be seen as a minimum, not the ideal.

will

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 10:35:21 -0500

actually, the fair trade label on coffee is much more specific and problematic than simply "paying the farmers fairly." how do you objectively determine "fair pay" to begin with? but the label itself is kind of a racket, and also means that the farmers work in a collective, that naturally, isn't run by the actual farmers, and the individual farm owners themselves are not allowed to hire seasonal labor for some reason that escapes me at the moment. it, like, "sustainable", and "organic" is a label that is placed there to assuage upper middle class guilt at their own largess. which is kind of weird because you pay more for it.

meesalikeu

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 02:30:01 -0500

any mention about 'grounded' coffeehouse in the west village? they have been doing the fair trade deal for years now.

nick

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 15:35:37 -0500

all this ditmas park coverage is giving me the heeby jeebies.