Fair or alternative trade is a system of exchange based on solidarity and equality. Respect for producers, consumers, and resources are its foundations. Coffee was thus the very first fair trade product to appear on the Canadian market in 1998.
But if coffee, the best-selling product, now employs 25 million farmers, not all are in the same situation. This is why many companies, primarily Canadian companies, are seeking to increase the development of fair trade coffee and raise awareness about responsible consumption. Let's take a closer look.
A matter of social justice
Due to overproduction of coffee in Brazil and Vietnam, the cost of coffee collapses and, with it, the wages of agricultural workers. Not to mention the drop in quality. The only solution to save local producers from poverty is fair trade. By establishing sustainable trade relations, producers' incomes are secured, workers' working conditions are respected, and the local environment is enhanced.
Only solidarity and transparent commitment contracts, reducing intermediaries in the supply chain, can guarantee decent incomes for producers in the most disadvantaged countries.
Concerned about these values, Canadians are increasingly motivated in their purchasing decisions by the ethical banner. Indicators also show a certain enthusiasm for fair trade products in recent years.
The guarantor of local economic growth
Coffee is grown in Southern countries and contributes to the development of a local economy. Adapted to mountainous areas where only this crop is sometimes possible, it helps maintain rural activities. It is important to know that two-thirds of global production comes from small farms of less than five hectares!
In an economy based on a different exchange model, prices are established as fairly and stably as possible between the different economic partners. Thus, when there is a surplus of income, it can be invested, in the same sector or elsewhere, in housing or education.
Thanks to the certified label on the products, fair trade coffee is visible to consumers who care about these values. The transparency of the manufacturing chain, distribution, and purchasing behaviors act in a virtuous circle and boost a sector whose growth today is not negligible and should be welcomed.
The importance of fair trade for the coffee industry is no longer to be proven. Whether it is to pay a fair price to producing communities, to establish a more direct and democratic commercial relationship, to promote solidarity, and to make us aware of the power of our consumption choices, all reasons are good to convert to this type of trade. Not to mention that the taste of this coffee is delicious. Do not forget that the success of good coffee does not only depend on the work of the roaster, it is inherent to that of the farmer and the importer. Better coffee and better conditions for farmers, what more could you ask for!
