May 16, 2011
nationalpost: Fair-trade coffee producers often end up poorerCoffee is one of our guilty pleasures, and not only because of the calories that can be packed into a double latte. Many of us feel guilty that our pleasure is coming at the expense of the Third World coffee farmer, so much so that we gladly pay more for “fair-trade” coffee, which certifies that farmers receive more revenue for their crop. But we have something else to feel guilty about. That fair-trade cup of coffee we savour may not only fail to ease the lot of poor farmers, it may actually help to impoverish them, according to a study out recently from Germany’s University of Hohenheim. The study, which followed hundreds of Nicaraguan coffee farmers over a decade, concluded that farmers producing for the fair-trade market “are more often found below the absolute poverty line than conventional producers. “Over a period of 10 years, our analysis shows that organic and organic-fair trade farmers have become poorer relative to conventional producers.” (Photo: Beawiharta/Reuters) isn’t that because conventional producers are giant corporation owned plantations?

nationalpost:

Fair-trade coffee producers often end up poorer
Coffee is one of our guilty pleasures, and not only because of the calories that can be packed into a double latte. Many of us feel guilty that our pleasure is coming at the expense of the Third World coffee farmer, so much so that we gladly pay more for “fair-trade” coffee, which certifies that farmers receive more revenue for their crop.

But we have something else to feel guilty about. That fair-trade cup of coffee we savour may not only fail to ease the lot of poor farmers, it may actually help to impoverish them, according to a study out recently from Germany’s University of Hohenheim.

The study, which followed hundreds of Nicaraguan coffee farmers over a decade, concluded that farmers producing for the fair-trade market “are more often found below the absolute poverty line than conventional producers.

“Over a period of 10 years, our analysis shows that organic and organic-fair trade farmers have become poorer relative to conventional producers.” (Photo: Beawiharta/Reuters)

isn’t that because conventional producers are giant corporation owned plantations?

2:51pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZmCeYy5AprS6
(Notes: 73)
  
  1. fair-trade-gifts reblogged this from equivoque
  2. dancingdingledodies reblogged this from nationalpost and added:
    This is so depressing. There must be something we can do. Farmers are always getting gypped and it’s not fair!
  3. lycasteskinnerialba reblogged this from nationalpost
  4. alainsaffel reblogged this from nationalpost and added:
    If that is the case, where is the analysis as to why that may be the case? Seems to defy logic, but I’d like to know.
  5. bittersweetchange reblogged this from nationalpost
  6. pronagepow reblogged this from nationalpost and added:
    Stuff is so darn complex.
  7. pikuniku reblogged this from nationalpost and added:
    Pikuniku’s followed...coffee–racism-colonialism connection before (here, here and here),...
  8. awfuldaring reblogged this from lionza
  9. wuling09 reblogged this from rematiration and added:
    ayyyyy?!
  10. nadadenuevo reblogged this from nationalpost
  11. thecafocus reblogged this from nationalpost
  12. suunnyeyed reblogged this from disgustinghuman
  13. kineoperegrinus reblogged this from nationalpost
  14. equivoque reblogged this from sauerkrautforever and added:
    Yeah. I know that of all the things I consume, coffee is probably highest on the superfluosity-for-damage-done scale,...
  15. sauerkrautforever reblogged this from equivoque and added:
    ughhh so what am i supposed to do now? i drink a lot of coffee and i would like to know what the least damaging way of...
  16. phanopoeia-extraterrestrial reblogged this from disgustinghuman
  17. amandageddon reblogged this from nationalpost
  18. disgustinghuman reblogged this from conjuringseed
  19. scu-politics reblogged this from nationalpost
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  22. draggonflyy reblogged this from conjuringseed
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  25. lionza reblogged this from rematiration and added:
    the article says it’s because the process of becoming certified is for people who can afford the costly regulations,...
  26. viviendolavidaverde reblogged this from nationalpost
  27. magicalbelle reblogged this from rematiration
  28. menandbutterflies reblogged this from rematiration and added:
    Okay, I don’t know enough to have an opinion about this yet, but it’s definitely hugely interesting. So saving it.
  29. rematiration reblogged this from jasencomstock