The Fair Trade Certified coffee movement exists today to ensure that the small sizecoffee producers, who make up the majority of the world's coffee production, receive afair price for their coffee. Mass producers of coffee are able to grow their products at acheaper expense, often with lower quality, and as a result, they can sell their coffee for acheaper price. The problem with this is that the smaller producers must lower theircoffee prices in order to attract any business at all. Unfortunately, the small producershave had to lower their prices so far that they cannot even survive on the money madefrom their sales.Fair Trade organizations began in the late 1950's. They started in Eur ...view middle of the document...
The advantage of Fair TradeCertified coffee over the other certified coffees is that Fair Trade also addresses the wagethat the producer receives. Since coffee is the second most valuable traded commodity,it has a large economic effect on the producers, who are predominantly residents of thirdworld countries. Fair Trade coffee applies this fact to help bring third world coffeeproducers out of poverty.As a Catholic, the social teachings of my religion helps to make Fair Trade coffeeappeal to me even more. According to Catholic social teaching, I am obligated toremember the poor people of the world and the "little guys." Through purchasing FairTrade coffee rather than uncertified coffee my family and I are doing a small part ingiving aid to these small coffee producers who live in poverty. Also, purchasing FairTrade coffee benefits the environment and the goods of the earth that God created. As aCatholic it is my duty to help protect these goods. In addition, the large farm producersare denying several rights that, according to Catholic social teaching, the small farmersshould be able to enjoy as well. For example, all people in a community are granted theright to participate in the economic life of society; however, under their currentconditions their role in the economy is very limited or in several cases, nonexistent.Also, people are granted the right to basic necessities needed to survive. Without the FairTrade movement, small farmers would not even be able to afford these necessities.Furthermore, buying Fair Trade rather than normal coffee helps to benefit the individualsmall producer, and...
