By Catherine Cheney*
Coffee is often depicted as the poster child for the fair trade movement, which seeks to improve the social and environmental standards of a range of commodities. And the spectrum of stickers on a bag of coffee beans today are symbols for just how complex fair trade efforts have become.
“Fair trade is acting in a marketplace that is largely disconnected, anonymous, sort of faceless and consequently a lot of bad things happen,” said Rodney North, director of marketing and external relations at Fairtrade America, in an interview with Devex.
The fair trade movement sets a floor price for commodities like coffee, then certifiers like Fairtrade International work to ensure that the transactions are benefiting the farmer and the community.
One criticism of fair trade is that given the cost of entry, certification does not function as a tool for development. But North said it is just one of growing list of approaches needed to reach a more stable, connected, sustainable coffee economy. There are many areas where the movement intersects with global development and Fairtrade America is adding programs on gender, child labor, climate, and living wages, he said.
