Guatemala Fair Trade
Guatemala Fair Trade
is fair trade coffee really fair?
was reading this blog about fair trade coffee:
http://www.coffeekids.org/blog/comments/guatemala-high-on-climate-change-list/
and in the comments people are talking about how fair trade coffee isn't really fair becuase its only a bare minimum for companies to avoid transparency about their buying culture.
does this mean fair trade coffee and beans like this:
http://www.coffechino.co.uk/products/coffee-ingredients--sundries/coffee-beans-traditional-machines.html
doesn't really count?
Define "fair". If you mean "paid something approximating a European wage", and you're not looking at hyper-premium single lot specialty coffee, your choices were and remain Hawaiian and Puerto Rican coffee; no other coffee-producing country must pay workers that sort of wage and none can without pricing themselves out of the coffee market.
If you mean "price-supported", then Fair Trade is the biggest price-support program out there with its minimum price. Fair Trade pays a premium (US$0.10 per pound for organic, IIRC) or a floor price, whichever is higher, and the floor price can be twice the market price at the bottom of a tremendous crash. Right now coffee prices are over the floor price. IIRC, the Fair Trade floor price might still be below the floor price while the ICO coffee cartel held sway; it was held constant ignoring inflation for many years, and this has come under attack from coffee producers.
If you mean something more complex, like a personal relationship between producer-seller and roaster-buyer with a minimal number of intermediaries, Fair Trade isn't it. There are a variety of programs that have sprung up to fill the "fairer than Fair Trade" niche; Direct Trade is pretty popular. Direct Trade will never grow beyond the specialty market because it becomes prohibitively complex when selling millions of beans; Nestle is never going to try to cultivate personal relationships with the millions of small farms whose beans go into Nescafe, but they might start buying beans from Fair Trade brokers and add some to premium blends.
So it's up to you to decide what "fairness" is. Price supports? Having met the grower? The grower living like an American? Something else?
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 3 Guatemala fair trade organic green coffee beans  US $17.99
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 Guatemala Fair Trade Organic 5lbs US $33.83
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 Organic Guatemala Santiago Atitlan Fair Trade Coffee 1lb or 5lbs US $65.75
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Ceramic Mug from Guatemala - Blue Peacock
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DescriptionHand painted, hand thrown 16 to 18 oz. ceramic mug in a Blue Peacock Design from Palopo, Guatemala. Lead-free, dishwasher and microwave safe. |
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Ceramic Mug from Guatemala - Green Peacock
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DescriptionHand painted, hand thrown 16 to 18 oz. ceramic mug in a Green Peacok Design from Palopo, Guatemala. Lead-free, dishwasher and microwave safe. |
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Ceramic Mug from Guatemala - Tala Vera Design
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DescriptionHand painted, hand thrown 16 to 18 oz. ceramic mug in a Tala Vera Design from Palopo, Guatemala. Lead-free, dishwasher and microwave safe. |
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The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Day Cream Regular, 1.7 Ounce
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DescriptionWorld's first fair-trade aloe vera hydrates and sooths sensitive skin, making it more supple.# Community Trade sesame seed oil moisturizes and softens skin while maintaining and restoring skin's natural defense to protect it from irritants and environmental stressors... |
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The Body Shop Aloe Vera Eye Defence, 0.5-Fluid Ounce
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DescriptionThe Body Shop Aloe Vera Eye Defense - 0.5 Oz. : Soothe and protect the delicate skin around your eyes with a smooth, creamy gel that minimizes the signs of sensitivity. * Community Trade aloe vera hydrates and calms sensitive skin, while Community Trade sesame oil helps to restore skin's moisture barrier... |
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The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Exfoliator, 2.5 Ounce
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DescriptionThe Body Shop gentle aloe exfoliator helps wash away dead skin and debris without causing dryness. 2.5 oz each |
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Guatemalan, Organic Fair Trade Whole Bean Coffee, 5-Pound Bag
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DescriptionThis is a very popular coffee from Guatemala. The farms that grow the coffee must adhere to very strict organic growing conditions. It is shade grown at levels as high as 4000ft, and graded as "Hard Bean"... |
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Guatemalan, Organic Fair Trade Whole Bean Coffee, 16-Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)
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DescriptionThis is a very popular coffee from Guatemala. The farms that grow the coffee must adhere to very strict organic growing conditions. It is shade grown at levels as high as 4000ft, and graded as âHard Beanâ... |
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Larry's Beans Fair Trade Organic Coffee, Pure Guatemala, Whole Bean, 12-Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)
Sale Price: $37.97 |
DescriptionSweetly fragrant, hints of volcanic cocoa, deep, warm and nutty. 100 percent organic, fair trade, shade grown. We consider the slow-roasting and creative blending of our fair trade, organic coffees an art form... |
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Hacky Sack~ Set of 3 ~ Assorted Colors ~ High Quality ~ Imported From Guatemala
Sale Price: $10.95 |
DescriptionAssorted designs and colors. Three hacky sacks total. High quality bean filled hacky sacks. |