Coffee culture is developing rapidly.

As coffee consumption in the United States and

worldwide is at its peak, it has become increasingly important to address the various injustices of

coffee bean production, and in particular, exploitation of labor. Whereas coffee beans are grown

and processed in the developing countries of the global south and then exported for enjoinment

of the wealthier consumers in the global north, one could suggest that it must be a responsibility

of the said consumers to ensure that the hard work to produce coffee is properly appreciated and

the workers involved are fairly compensated. A good start for a responsible consumer to get

involved on a personal level would be to buy exclusively the Fair Trade certified coffee products.

Previously known and described as ‘alternative development’, Fair Trade is an international

initiative which seeks to correct global social injustice, economic injustice and to ensure

environmental sustainability through the workings of the market. (CITE). There are, however,

objections are heard from time to time expressing concerns that the organization aimed at

supporting producers and sustainable development might itself be exploited by businesses in

their marketing tactics. In this essay, I will demonstrate that Fair Trade has proven to improve

economic, environmental, and social standards of international coffee production.

In the recent years, supply of coffee beans has increased much faster than the demand for

the beans. Due to this supply and demand disbalance, coffee bean prices have been rapidly

dropping hurting the farmers’ income. Regular coffee trade does not protect the wages of coffee

bean farmers which Fair Trade leads to exploitation of labor in the countries of global south

where coffee is produced. As many of the citizens in those countries are already suffering from

poverty, it is crucial that all possible efforts are made in order to help the hard-working citizens

of the global south. While this global issue is not entirely under our control, some steps,
however, can be taken in order to fight this economic injustice. Established and enforced by

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Fair Trade is a voluntary system with its success

driven by the will and commitment of companies who are supportive of the move for direct,

socially just and environmentally responsible trade relations between those in the global north

and global south. (CITE). The Fair Trade initiative strives to commit to the idea that farmers get

paid fairly for their product. Choosing to consume Fair Trade coffee is one way that people of

the global north can take a step towards correcting this economic injustice. “The stated aim of

the initiative was to ensure that growers were provided ‘sufficient wages’” ​(CITE)​. Various steps

have been taken under Fair Trade in order to provide growers with living wages. Fair trade

certification guarantees farmers a minimum price of $1.21 per pound with a five cent premium

​(CITE)​. In addition, the fair trade coffee producers are paid a price premium over the sales price,

which they must use to improve quality of their life. Thus, Fair Trade provides a safety net for

the growers against fluctuations of the market price of coffee beans. Farmers are guaranteed to

receive an established minimum compensation for their work and protected from a possible

exploitation due to variations in market prices for coffee. By encouraging more ethical consumer

choices, fair trade fights against processes that exploit people in disadvantaged positions, and the

environment by aiming to fix commodity circuits within ecological and social relations. (CITE).

Fair Trade has received a fair share of criticism since many people have found that

companies use the Fair Trade label as a business tactic rather than an a social cause. As

consumers purchase product from Fair Trade companies due to the social discourse around it, the

initiative can be used as a marketing strategy. “The Fair Trade marketing narrative uses the

classical rhetorical method of listing those values where there is agreement in the hope that
potential customers will believe that they agree in all values” (CITE). As many companies

utilizing the Fair Trade label do not advertise sufficient information on how exactly they are

helping workers in the global south, the provided information can seem misleading in order to fit

the companies’ desired narrative. It is a marketing strategy which appeals to various persuasion

techniques, perhaps, leaving out the facts and the logical reasoning, known as logos. Fair Trade

marketing relies heavily on pathos, as the social injustices and suffering workers are sure to

appeal to the audience’s emotions and make them more inclined to put their money towards the

company’s cause. Ethos are used as companies showcase that their values match up with the

values of the consumers, therefor, seeming much more credible to the audience. Additionally,

concern rises as some people believe it is easier for a company to rationalize unethical decisions

due to the socially “woke” image they already possess. “It was suggested that the company can

be a little unorthodox because it has its ‘ethics in the bank’” (CITE). It is easier for a company to

get away with ethically poor actions as they are perceived by the media to be an ethical company

due to the Fair Trade label. However, despite the negative allegations proposed about the Fair

Trade initiative in the recent years, evidence clearly shows that Fair Trade does in fact benefit

the growers in the global south and makes environment friendly production more likely.

Climate change is a danger of huge size for coffee growers and their surroundings. Food

insecurity is caused by varying weather patterns and other environmental factors such as soil

erosion and pests which leads to income losses for the growers. Coffee beans in the global south

are affected with many different diseases and pests which is hurting production. People are

suffering "in developing countries, where climate change threatens to wreak havoc, spawning the

greatest of all social injustices where those who have done least to cause the problem of global
warming are the ones to be worst affected" (CITE). It is crucial for the citizens of the north to

make sure to consume products under the fair trade label due to the fact that we are responsible

for much of the side effects climate change. Producers in Africa and Central America need

support to adjust to new weather patterns or their means of supporting themselves and their

families will be endangered. Obviously, fair trade can not solve global warming, however, it

guides producers with adapting to new climate patterns which otherwise would be endangering

their jobs. When producers are certified as Fair Trade, they commit to environmental standards

that protect the local ecosystem. Under fair trade, farmers must follow guidelines to minimize

use of dangerous chemicals and genetically modified coffee bean seeds. They are aiding regional

habitats through protecting areas designed specifically for environmental protection and are

forbidden from deforestation for cultivation. Farmers are encouraged to produce organic coffee

by the premium they are provided by Fair Trade when they have the proper certifications.

In one of the recent studies Raluca Dragusanu and Nathan Nunn from Harvard University

analyzed the effect of fair trade certification on coffee producers in Costa Rica. The authors

examined the impact of fair trade certification on the universe of coffee mills from 1999–2014.

Despite the heavy amount of criticism that businesses using the fair trade certification

have received in the recent years, research suggests that fair trade institutions are actually

helping the coffee producers despite the market volatility. In the case of fair trade coffee, many

parties benefit from the consumption of products provided by businesses and farmers under the

certification. Fair trade has various benefits such as an increase in economic equality, in

environment-friendly practices in the process of farming coffee beans, and in the social

development in the global south. The consumers, for their part, should support the Fair Trade
initiative by making an ethical choice to buy fair trade certified coffee products whenever

possible.