We love our coffee. It is one of my happy addictions. It used to be my treat for getting into work in the morning. Now, it is my treat for waking up!
We go to great lengths to purchase Fair Trade. I always seem to have a brain fade and say 'free trade' coffee.
Having read an article in Time: Special Report, Oct. 5, 2009.
I am beginning to think it is free coffee.
The facts
- Fair trade represents about 2.5% of the industry
- Fair trade is a 25-year global campaign
- pays the farmer 13% more than current non-organic market price
- if farmer gets $1.55 /lb., retail customer pays $10/lb.
- one farmer makes about $1000 per year, for example
- coffee is the 2nd most traded commodity (after oil)
- Nestle & Kraft dominate the industry
- there are 25 million coffee growers world wide
- Fair trade = $1.75 billion
- globally: coffee industry = $70 billion
- Starbucks is the globe's largest purchaser
Starbucks has pledged to double the amount of coffee it buys (20 to 40 million lb, to amount to 40% of the coffee imported into the US.
The farmer must drag 100 lb. of fertilizer up a mountain. It is labour intensive and still does not feed a family. About half of the farming families go hungry a couple months a year, in a recent study.
I cannot imagine the equity of this situation. Like Cheap-Mart, Kraft & Nestle get away with world domination, and the ruination of the small farming/business owner.
2 comments:
I've been buying fair trade produce for many years now, coffee included and have converted many friends to it.
I also recently bought a fabulous fairtrade organic cottom jersey dress. It's purple. I wear it sometimes with red. Need I say more???
That's fabulous! I saw some red hat ladies at CranFest today! I often wear outrageous colours. Keep my kids on their toes!
Post a Comment