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Fair Trade has major effect on coffee-growing communities
The Rev. Dr. Dana W. Sutton rides a horse on his way to pick coffee berries in Nicaragua.
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I openly admit that I'm a coffee snob. Yet until recently, I had no real concept of how that caffeinated liquid made it from a farm into my insulated mug. So when an opportunity arose to travel to Nicaragua Jan. 16-23 with a delegation jointly sponsored by Equal Exchange, a leader in Fair Trade coffee and other products, and the Presbyterian Church (USA) Hunger Program, I jumped on it.
"Fair Trade" is a movement aimed at helping small farmers of various kinds of crops to stabilize and strengthen economic situations as well as their own growing methods. As with most commodities, coffee is usually traded at widely fluctuating prices. If prices rise -- for any number of reasons -- farmers do reasonably well, though it is always the "middlemen" or primary purchasers who make much of the profit. When the market price falls, however, farming families and entire communities in developing nations can be devastated. They may lose money on their crop and have to borrow -- if they can, and at incredibly high interest rates -- in order to survive until the next crop.
Some years ago, I observed this in the small coffee-growing town of Yajalon in Chiapas, Mexico, during a time of extremely low market prices. Coffee was going unsold, people had no money even for basic necessities, and the near future looked bleak. Fair Trade began as an effort to provide a different economic model, one that could help farmers avoid the "boom and bust" cycles. You may have seen products in the grocery store or even in Starbucks with the circular "Fair Trade" label. Since my trip, I'm more aware than ever of the positive impacts of purchasing such products.
Our trip began in Managua with a day of orientation on Nicaraguan history, coffee production and exportation and the details of Equal Exchange's Fair Trade system. The next day, we traveled to the town of Boaco to visit with representatives from a union that brings farmers in small towns together as "cooperatives." These cooperatives form the backbone of Fair Trade economics; they provide education, guidance, organization and a market for small farms to sell their products.
Later in the day, we journeyed out into the beautiful Nicaraguan mountain countryside. Our small bus carried us over about 15 miles of dirt road into the small village of El Bejuco, where members of the local coffee cooperative El Tesoro greeted us enthusiastically.
After visiting for a while over locally grown oranges and coffee, we split up into groups of two to travel to the modest homes of local farmers who would host us for two nights. These gracious people offered us the best of what they had -- beds, food, outdoor plumbing and all.
There was no running water or electrical appliances such as stoves or refrigerators. Some homes didn't have electricity for lights.
The next morning, we gathered with our group at the home of one farmer who had saved a small section of his crop (we were at the tail end of a crop harvest time) for us to pick. Despite working hard for two hours at plucking the ripe, red berries that house the coffee beans, all 18 of us only managed to pick as much coffee as one experienced farmer could pick in half a day.
Toting our prize back up the hill, we were walked through the next steps of removing the inner beans from the outer fruit, drying (which takes several days at this stage) and then hand-selecting the beans into three different grades, which are sold in different markets.
I spent about 20 minutes with two of the farmer's sons getting my first lesson on which beans belonged on which mesh drying rack. The farmer explained that all of the cooperatives in this union follow organic, shade-grown methods, avoiding the use of chemicals that can harm farmers, other plants and animals.
Trudging back down the hill to the center of the town at the cooperative building, we were treated to a real Nicaraguan fiesta. The entire town turned out to eat and dance and watch children dive for candy as two pinatas were eventually broken. I later asked some young men how often the community holds such parties -- "Once a year," I was told. Our visit was truly appreciated by this community, for whom Equal Exchange and our purchase of their coffee has meant a more stable, healthy life and environment.
After one last night in our host home, we departed to visit the union's drying and processing facility, where the cooperatives send their beans for the last stages of preparation, including more drying, husk removal, additional sorting, then bagging for export. (Roasting is done after export.)
Tasters also demonstrated their methods for evaluating the quality of the final brewed product. And although I'm very particular, I couldn't detect the subtle differences between three varieties of brewed coffee. Others in the group had the same problem; all that we could tell was that the coffee was top notch. Equal Exchange and most other Fair Trade buyers purchase only the best coffee from cooperatives.
There is no question that it costs more than much of the standard coffee in supermarkets, but the difference it makes in the lives of so many people and the quality it offers -- along with the confidence of a "chemical-free cup" -- more than makes up for the few cents more it costs me each day.
Since returning home, every morning cup reminds me of the farmers I met, and all the work that goes into bringing this steaming goodness to my table. I remain a coffee snob; but now I'm also a snob about where and under what conditions my coffee originates. I am also more committed than ever to the principles of Fair Trade, and will look for Fair Trade products whenever I shop.
If you're interested in Fair Trade products or more information, visit www.equalexchange.com or contact me at dwsutton@gmail.com. I'm also available to speak to groups or civic organizations.
The Rev. Dr. Dana W. Sutton is a Presbyterian campus minister at Marshall University.
