Why is it that only cooperatives of small-scale coffee farmers may participate in the Fair Trade Certification model, and not coffee estates and plantations with hired workers?
The difficulties experienced by farmers and farm workers in developing countries differ greatly from product to product. Most of the world’s coffee, for example, is grown by small-scale family farmers. They face low and volatile prices, lack access to capital and international buyers, and are often forced to sell to exploitative middlemen at prices below their costs of production. Workers on banana plantations, on the other hand, often encounter union-busting companies, exposure to toxic chemicals, hazardous working conditions and low pay. The Fair Trade model originally set out to empower small-scale coffee farmers, who are the most vulnerable and marginalized participants in the coffee sector. By getting organized into democratic cooperatives and participating in Fair Trade, coffee farmers are able to gain access to international markets, earn higher prices, invest in their farms and communities, and strengthen their organizations. As Fair Trade has expanded into products that are ty
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