• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Poll: fair trade coffee

B

beer

Lifer
What exactly is fair trade coffee?

I was just having a discussion with my dad about fair trade coffee. He was saying that most of the people in this country didn't care if coffee was fair-trade label or not, but I was contending that a price of $1.26 per pound still is a cheap, cheap price for a corporation to pay for coffee that is often sold back betwen $4-$7 per pound in grocery stores and $8-$11 in coffee shops.

So anwer the poll I guess.
 
The fact is if I hadn't heard the recent NPR article regarding it I'd probably take the cheaper one.

Now that I know about it I can't in good conscence buy the non fair trade one.

Same thing with Wal-mart. I used to happily shop the deals there, now that I'm aware of thier labor practices I can't in good conscience shop there anymore.
 
I eat out or carry out all the time so I do not spend much time in grocery stores. But when given the opportunity, I will buy fair trade products.
 
free market coffee😛

why should the vietnamese farmer suffer because the south american farmer can't hack it? 🙂
 
$4.00

If growing coffee isn't profitable, then stop growing coffee.

With less coffee supplied to the international market, farmers can ask for a higher selling price due to increasing scarcity of the commodity.

Now you're approaching $4.75 without "fair trade".
 
Free trade all the way. What ever has the best quality for the price is what I will buy, period.
 
Originally posted by: gsaldivar
$4.00 If growing coffee isn't profitable, then stop growing coffee. With less coffee supplied to the international market, farmers can ask for a higher selling price due to increasing scarcity of the commodity. Now you're approaching $4.75 without "fair trade".
Click to expand...

yeah right. its either that or grow coke.

Its typical that people generally don't give a crap about others' hardships, tending to blame them, but thats very naive of the problems that plague these poor farmers.
 
Originally posted by: Amused
Free trade all the way. What ever has the best quality for the price is what I will buy, period.
Click to expand...

Cool, lets get rid of the billions in farming subsidies and some third world countries might actually have a chance to get from under their debt burdens.
 
Originally posted by: gsaldivar
Originally posted by: Amused
Free trade all the way. What ever has the best quality for the price is what I will buy, period.
Click to expand...

Um...

Free trade beans are the same quality as non-free trade beans. Did you read the poll?

"...same coffee beans side-by-side..."

Still willing to shell out $4.75 ?
Click to expand...
i think he meant something else fair trade != free trade
 
Originally posted by: jjsole
Originally posted by: gsaldivar
$4.00 If growing coffee isn't profitable, then stop growing coffee. With less coffee supplied to the international market, farmers can ask for a higher selling price due to increasing scarcity of the commodity. Now you're approaching $4.75 without "fair trade".
Click to expand...

yeah right. its either that or grow coke.

Its typical that people generally don't give a crap about others' hardships, tending to blame them, but thats very naive of the problems that plague these poor farmers.
Click to expand...

like how in the us you work at walmart or you sell crack right?

its farmer discrimination. we have to feel sorry for the poor south american farmer, give him more money at the expense of some asian farmer😛 it was the opening of other markets that supplied coffee that killed em. they couldn't hack it.

seriously...maybe the coffee hippies should complain that the asian and othernew coffee producers are selling too cheap😛 seems ot be working for them though.


 
I'll take the cheaper one if both are the same product. I reach a point where I don't care about supporting "one more cause".
 
and frankly, those countries shed no tears when their cheap labor replaces american jobs.

how about fair trade cars? electronics? computer parts?
 
Originally posted by: jjsole
Originally posted by: gsaldivar
$4.00 If growing coffee isn't profitable, then stop growing coffee. With less coffee supplied to the international market, farmers can ask for a higher selling price due to increasing scarcity of the commodity. Now you're approaching $4.75 without "fair trade".
Click to expand...

yeah right. its either that or grow coke.

Its typical that people generally don't give a crap about others' hardships, tending to blame them, but thats very naive of the problems that plague these poor farmers.
Click to expand...


Dude. I'm not being judgemental here. The laws of economics are pretty straight forward:

If you have a commodity that is in good supply, and the supply of that commodity increases, the price for each unit of that commodity will tend to fall. Think of inflation: What happens in a country when the government prints money? The value of each unit of currency tends to fall as the overall supply of money in the economy increases -- people demand a greater quantity of money because the value of each unit is worth less than before.

It isn't the fault of buyers that there is an oversupply of coffee on the world market. Only by increasing the quantity of coffee demanded can they raise the price of the commodity by creating scarcity. If the quantity of coffee decreases (buyers stop buying), the price of coffee will fall even further.

However,

Can farmers raise the selling price of coffee by choosing not to grow it? By decreasing the overall supply of coffee, scarcity will be created, causing the value of each unit of coffee to rise.

The last time I checked, there were a whole host of other things that farmers grow. In some parts of Latin America, farmers now grow flowers instead of crops. Why? Because these commodities are selling at a higher price than what they grew before.


 
Err; I don't buy coffee.. so I don't even know what this fair trade stuff is. Now that I know, I'd probably still buy the cheaper stuff if I bought coffee. I have about 60 packets of Chock Full O' Nuts coffee that I got from a hotel which will last me a long while. 😛
 
Originally posted by: dolph
not buying fair trade coffee for the reasons stated makes you either naive or heartless.
Click to expand...

Do you really think a price floor is the solution to the farmers problems? Nevermind the fact that they are currently producing more coffee than can be absorbed by the world market. All the "fair traders" are asking is a measly $0.75 more per pound, right?

The next thing you know, you are either "with them or against them". The cruel, heartless masses who expect to pay the lowest cost for coffee! How dare they!

Typical tree-hugger/birkenstock-wearing/bleeding-heart/hippie point-of-view.

Why don't you read through Elemental007's link. Find out more about how the "free traders" hope to enact purchasing restrictions on schools so that they are no longer allowed to purchase anything other than "free trade" coffee.

Simply put: To have the greatest impact on farmers quality-of-life, we need fewer farmers growing choosing to grow coffee. It's that simple.

If you feel better paying an extra $0.75 per pound for peace-of-mind, go for it.

But don't judge those who choose not to, as 'cruel and heartless'.
 
hopefully i'll remember this thread tomorrow so i can respond to it when i'm more awake. don't worry though, gsaldivar, i'll explain my position thoughtfully and without name calling.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top