[Peace-discuss] coffee

[Linda Evans]

Okay, since people have asked off-line and I wasn't
quite clear...I do not oppose fair trade or the
labeling of coffee or other goods.  I just think that
these issues are complex. If one is going to buy
coffee - fair trade seems like the way to go, but if
one is debating on buying coffee or not...maybe not
buying coffee might be more in-line with certain
considerations regarding labor, environmental
concerns, health (debatable) issues, etc. 

I don't want to go into this more online since it is
pretty much off-topic, but I didn't want to come off
as trashing 'fair trade'.

Linda (sticking to drinking water today...another
complex issue)
--- meghan krausch <meghan_krausch at hotmail.com> wrote:
> i see i have ignited a debate. i have a knack of
> doing that. this makes me 
> think that the topic deserves a more detailed
> treatment than i was going to 
> give it in the public i.
> 
> i will not try to write a long, clearly reasoned
> response right now, but i 
> will say that 1) fair trade supports only
> cooperatives, which only disrupt 
> the business of small farmes in that they are
> already being totally and 
> completely exploited by the 4 companies that buy 70%
> (or so) of the world's 
> coffee. 2) people are growing coffee. indigenous
> people and otherwise. it's 
> not going to stop. fair trade is certainly not
> encouraging anyone to buy up 
> a ton of land and throw someone off of it... in
> fact, it will hopefully have 
> the effect of putting all of those landless,
> starving coffee pickers back to 
> work, since right now, with the price of coffee
> actually below the cost of 
> growing it, it is being allowed to rot on the plant.
> being anti-capitalist 
> is all good and well with food in your mouth, but
> with no food and no 
> skills, a well-organized, well-funded coop might
> just be the solution.
> 
> i have to clarify that in general i am against the
> liberal/consumerist 
> schemes, but after visiting with coffee farmers who
> are enjoying the 
> benefits of fair trade and those who are not, and
> looking at the facts, my 
> mind was made up. the coop that i visited was run by
> and for Nicaraguan 
> farmers. they are always actively looking to get new
> members. yes, it can be 
> problematic, but so can unions. that doesn't stop me
> from supporting 
> union-made goods over others. the fact is, we live
> in a capitalist society 
> and we all buy stuff. yes, cutting down on your
> consumerism is good. but 
> while you are buying coffee anyway, i think making
> it fair trade (where 
> $1.20 a pound was paid to a coop instead of $.50 to
> a coyote) is a good 
> idea.
> 
> fyi: fair trade problems include: not certifying
> domestic products because 
> we ostensibly already have a minimum wage (but ask a
> migrant worker about 
> it, please) and the dominance of American
> certification companies. also for 
> a small business, the cost of certification can be
> high especially with the 
> cost of organic certification (and sadly, many more
> people seem to care 
> about that).
> 
> simply put: the best way to obtain anything is to
> grow/make it yourself, or 
> buy it from someone you know personally for a fair
> price. but if you can't 
> do that...
> 
> my more than 2 cents,
> meghan
> 
> http://www.witnessforpeace.org/nicaragua/coffee.html
> 
>
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=====
"As we talked of freedom and justice one day for all, we sat down to steaks.  I am eating misery, I thought, as I took the first bite.  And spit it out." - Alice Walker (author)





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