Without it, we would’nt be where we are now. Can you imagine someone building a company without a coffee? Me neither. So what is this about? Lets have a look from ecological standpoint.
1 cup of coffee has a footprint of 140 L water and 0,10 Kg CO2 emissions
1 Kg of coffee needs 18.900 L of water (Umweltbundesamt 28/2020)
Growing cultivated land with deforestation
Cultivation of monocultures and use of pesticides (increases soil erosion and loss of soil fertility, less biodiversity and contamination of drinking water)
Cultivation in third countries with child labor and low income
What can you do?
FAIRTRADE, Rainforest Alliance? It’s difficult…
PROS
Improves working conditions and payment
Bans child labor and drug cultivation
Some cooperating farms have health care centers
Awareness raising
CONS
Farmers are dependent on certain traders
Non cooperating farmers (i.e. because of costs) may suffer from the system
Higher costs for end consumer that often do not benefit farmers
No purchase guarantee
Farmers are controlled but who controlls the traders in this system?
No direct trade
Audit themselves
There are several more fairtrade labels that we will cover up in the future. Until that point feel free to explore yourself with publications like the International Guide to Fair Trade Labels.
Direct Trade
That is nothing with a certified label on the products, rather like a band (music) that has no contract to a music label and do everything on their own with no one on the way to grab an extra coin.
Fact is if you buy “FAIRTRADE” products you wont be buyin’ direct trade coffee. Of course you don’t have the fair in the trade at this point. No one tells you if that company has standards that you don’t agree with.
Currently I’m getting coffee from companies mentioned above. I’m happy to see some of them regularly at local supermarkets. In the end give yourself some time in the coffee corner of your local store and just study the sh*t out of that company (meaning 5min googleing).