Just Coffee Cooperative

Sitting in San Cristobal de Las Casas in Chiapas, Mexico things are crystal clear. Underneath the din of organizations in the North clamoring to set the definition and terms of Fair Trade, small-scale coffee farmers-- the original and supposed main beneficiaries of the system(s)-- have a unified opinion that Fair Trade™ has not worked. This of course, on the surface, is not a new revelation. However, where in the past we often discussed Fair Trade as “not working”, we now are closing the book on it-- we are speaking in the past tense. In the wake of FLO's slow and steady sell out of the model to large corporations and TransFair USA's sprint to complete the deal, Fair Trade™ has bitten the dust. Now is the appropriate time to spill an espresso shot in the dirt and say a few words.

From the uprisings that were felt throughout the world, to our own backyard here in Madison, its fair to say that 2011 was a year of movement. The earth started shakin’, people got organized, and exercised compassion over complacence. A revolutionary sentiment filled the air as people responded to these troubled times with a desire for a different world, where relationships and people, rather than greed and power matter. Just when I started to think the world had lost its track, and wondered how much worse things can get, I found myself in this interconnected network of inspiring, active individuals and ideas (both in Madison and abroad), working tirelessly to combat a system bound to fail. As we move into 2012, I’m grateful for those beans that help us to connect, reflect, and progress.

In the world of fair trade coffee, 2011 was a year filled with much excitement matched with many twists, turns, and roadblocks. High prices and rifts in the fair trade movement ruffled up many different aspects of this complicated chain of buying and selling of coffee beans. Throughout the year, green bean prices hit record highs, forcing producers, importers, and roasters alike to be creative in their efforts to secure coffee and invest more time and energy into maintaining long-term partnerships. Together with our chain of cooperatives, we managed to find ways to deal with high prices, relying on the importance of communication, flexibility, and long term relationships to overcome whatever barriers we were met with.

Today I received a note from a good friend who has spent over a decade in the Fair Trade movement. When I say “Fair Trade” here I am making the assumption that you all know exactly what I mean. But as it turns out, that is a pretty big assumption. So I need to explain.

My buddy Bill's message was responding to the current debate in Fair Trade and how it is being framed. On NPR, in the New York Times, and in other outlets it has been reduced to an argument between fully-committed 100% fair trade companies and behemoth multi-national roasters who only buy a small percentage of their beans under “Fair Trade” minimum terms. The tension is described as one between ideologically driven small-scale businesses that move a little FT coffee versus minimally-committed corporations that move huge volumes of FT Certified(TM) beans. This is an important contrast-- and one that deserves to be considered-- but it only tells part of the story.

In northern Nicaragua, as in many other parts of the world, coffee farmers are getting to know climate change a little too well. Last year, we wrote about the effects of Hurricane Matthew on many of the communities organized under La FEM. The community of El Colorado, home of Paz y Amor entre Mujeres was the hardest hit. Forty two families were evacuated and all of them lost their homes, animals, and food for the year. The land was devastated and after an official review by the local government, it was decided that it was unsafe to continue living on that mountain. The land was literally sinking and landslides were inevitable. A new piece of land was to be found and the entire community would be forced to start over. At least that was the plan...

So, the women leaders from the community waited and waited in their make shift shacks and tents for the mayor of the nearby town to find and purchase a piece of land, move the community, install water and electricity, and build 42 new homes. You can imagine how unsettling it must feel when you can’t be sure that the ground you’re standing on is secure. The mayor had agreed to move the community before the rainy season arrived after families had stressed the importance of needing to get to a secure place before the rains fell. Well, the rainy season came and went, but not without leaving behind another horrific storm. The community was once again evacuated in October and was forced to seek shelter in one of La FEM’s community centers and the local school. Roads were washed out, animals died, and farmlands were damaged once again. It was estimated that 16 of the 17 communities that FEM works with were affected and about 90% of this years crops (not including coffee) were lost. Luckily, that was the only damage.

Meanwhile, many of you helped us raise money through individual donations and through sales from our Solidarity Blend, raising nearly $5000 to put towards relief efforts and the purchase of a new piece of land. A portion of that money was put towards buying basic supplies needed to assist families during the crisis.  And we are finally happy to report that (now that the elections are over...) the mayor has begun the initial processes to move this community to a more secure spot, close enough to their farms, but far enough away that they wont be threatened by future landslides. Thank you to those that contributed to the Solidarity fund and who continue to act in solidarity with the farmers that grow your coffee.