The Consumer's Switch to Fair Trade Coffee Movement

The Fair Trade Certified coffee movement exists today to ensure that the small size coffee producers, who make up the majority of the world's coffee production, receive a fair price for their coffee. Mass producers of coffee are able to grow their products at a cheaper expense, often with lower quality, and as a result, they can sell their coffee for a cheaper price. The problem with this is that the smaller producers must lower their coffee prices in order to attract any business at all.

Unfortunately, the small producers have had to lower their prices so far that they cannot even survive on the money made from their sales.

Fair Trade organizations began in the late 1950's. They started in Europe and the United States, whose organizations bought goods directly from the third world countries in which they were produced. These third world companies and producers were previously too dependent on commercial middlemen, who often paid them unfair amounts for goods.

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The Fair Trade organizations of Europe and the US made sure that these third world producers receive a fair, livable wage. When buying Fair Trade coffee, you are benefiting people and the environment in several different ways. First of all, the conditions under which Fair Trade coffee is grown helps to protect the environment. In order for coffee to get the Fair Trade Certification, the coffee must be grown according to strict regulations. Large farm producers of coffee are able to afford to clear a field of trees and use chemicals and pesticides to increase their coffee production, thus hurting the natural state of the environment.

Fair Trade coffee is mostly grown under the shade of trees, without chemicals. This eliminates the problem of deforestation in an already disappearing rain forest, ensures that animals living in this forested area will continue to have a home, and also eliminates pesticide and herbicide pollution. Other coffee certifications, such as "shade-grown," "organic," or "bird-friendly" coffee also requires that the coffee be grown according to these environment helping guidelines. The advantage of Fair Trade Certified coffee over the other certified coffees is that Fair Trade also addresses the wage that the producer receives. Since coffee is the second most valuable traded commodity, it has a large economic effect on the producers, who are predominantly residents of third world countries. Fair Trade coffee applies this fact to help bring third world coffee producers out of poverty. As a Catholic, the social teachings of my religion helps to make Fair Trade coffee appeal to me even more.

According to Catholic social teaching, I am obligated to remember the poor people of the world and the "little guys." Through purchasing Fair Trade coffee rather than uncertified coffee my family and I are doing a small part in giving aid to these small coffee producers who live in poverty. Also, purchasing Fair Trade coffee benefits the environment and the goods of the earth that God created. As a Catholic it is my duty to help protect these goods. In addition, the large farm producers are denying several rights that, according to Catholic social teaching, the small farmers should be able to enjoy as well. For example, all people in a community are granted the right to participate in the economic life of society; however, under their current conditions their role in the economy is very limited or in several cases, nonexistent.

Also, people are granted the right to basic necessities needed to survive. Without the Fair Trade movement, small farmers would not even be able to afford these necessities. Furthermore, buying Fair Trade rather than normal coffee helps to benefit the individual small producer, and by Catholic Social Teaching, benefiting the person in need helps to improve the society in which they live. Finally, by purchasing Fair Trade coffee my family is doing its part in spreading the gifts we have been granted with to others less fortunate, and thus, helping the common good of those people. In order to do my part in helping to assist the small coffee farmers of third world countries, I discussed the Fair Trade issue with my parents, sister, and one of my brothers. They are all coffee drinkers, so the issue applies directly to them. The truth is that, before my mention of it, none of them had even heard of the Fair Trade movement. This surprised me due to the fact that my parents drink a lot of coffee daily. I explained to them the hardships that small producers, who help the environment, go through at the expense of the large producers, who harm the environment. I told them the information I learned about "good work" and stressed that as a Catholic family, it is our responsibility to do something to assist these people who are denied good work.

Finally, I told my parents that Fair Trade Certified coffee is available at three locations in my hometown, two of which they go to on a weekly basis, so they do not even have to go out of their way to make the switch to Fair Trade. As a result of my discussion, I convinced my family to purchase Fair Trade from now on. Coffee is the first product available in the United States to be Fair Trade Certified. An agency now monitors the labor conditions and production of this commodity. If the coffee movement catches on...it could spread to the industries of all imported goods.