The Late 80’s Coffee Crisis

How many of us remember the price decline of coffee in the late 1980’s? Well, the families who work the bean fields certainly do and at that time, experienced great loss – not only financially, but personally as well. The negative economic effects of the industry during those years caused the farmers to lose much more than money. Their children were forced to forgo their educations to work in the fields in an attempt to bring in larger harvests, healthcare became a luxury as it was no longer affordable to them and many lost farms that had been in their families for generations.

The Root of Regulatory Control

In the 1940’s, the Alternative Trade Organization, aka ATO, was established to assist in providing financial stability for poverty stricken refugees who were attempting to sell their hand-made and harvested wares. What the ATO did was help them by implementing fair trade policies and as a result, guaranteed fair pricing for their goods.

Then, the ATO’s regulatory practices reached decades ahead into the late 80’s when coffee prices started to fall, thereby sparking the development of Fair Trade. Fair Trade regulations of coffee were put into action to ensure a fair price for bean growers, especially those in the more impoverished regions of the world. Now, think about this – it takes around four thousand hand-picked beans to accumulate one pound of coffee. Without Fair Trade, the men, women and even children in some instances, who harvest the beans, would only receive a mere twenty-six cents per pound for their back-breaking work. But with these regulations in place, growers are guaranteed at least $1.26 per pound of beans and even more for organically-grown coffee.

Good for the Farmers, Good for the Environment

Currently representing 19 countries, Fair Trade coffee certification is a blessing to the hard-working, coffee-producing families of the world. And its implementation provides far-reaching soc

ial and global benefits as well. Many coffee crops are grown in the rain forests where the earth is clean and numerous species of wildlife cohabitate. If a farmer were to lose his land due to unfair pricing, then the environment in which they produce their harvest – the rain forests – would suffer greatly in turn. So, having the means to sustain their efforts and keep their farms flourishing greatly sustains the eco-system as well.

Certifiable Quality

Transfair USA is an organization that implements the assurance of quality for not just coffee, but a variety of agricultural products such as tea, cocoa, herbs, sugar, fresh flowers and more. All regulated, each branch of the production process must adhere to strict compliance guidelines in order to receive a Fair Trade Certification label. Transfair USA verifies that all parties involved – from the importer to the manufacturer down to the distributor – meet the high-quality standards of Fair Trade.

So when purchasing coffee and other farmed goods that display the Fair Trade label, you will not only be helping to support some of the hard-working farmers who grow it, but you can also be certain of a responsibly produced, superior product. Isn’t it satisfying to know that something as simple as a cup of coffee can make a huge difference to a family on the opposite side of the globe?

Author Credits

Andreanne Hamel and Luc Cloutier are a team of business owners and espresso lovers, combining their passion for publishing online and their coffee affair into their website. Their goal is to offer valuable insight to individuals interested in Italian espresso machines and stove top makers, as well as to coffee shop and restaurant owners going for super automatic espresso coffee machines, in a fun and entertaining way through their articles.