A matter of willingness

Living conditions for many coffee growers in Nicaragua are pretty bad.
They keep growing the coffee because “that is always what we have done”, but the financial result is meager. Prices have gone up quite a lot since the crisis years 2001-2003, but coffee still isn’t very good business for many growers. Paradoxically, coffee is at the same time the world’s second largest commodity, only surpassed by oil.
When visiting a Nicaraguan coffee farm, one can only wonder where all the money generated by coffee has gone. It is most certainly not to be found on the farms.
Together with a colleague, I visited a small-scale, organic farmer in the Northern part of Nicaragua, a couple of weeks ago. Maura Jarquín is her name, and even though we were far away from so-called civilization and way up in the mountains, her analysis was sharp and to the point: “In the end, the consumers in rich countries decide the prices of the coffee.”
She has a point, you know? It is in fact the consumer who decides whether he or she wishes to pay a dollar or two extra for the coffee. Fair trade, it is called, and even though we are experiencing a boom in fair trade commodities in for instance Denmark these years, we still have a long way to go.
I know, I know… the different dealers, buyers and roasters also have to take their part of the responsibility, but I just wish we could move on a bit and stop blaming everybody else except ourselves. We have to power to do the right thing, so quit fiddling around and do the right thing when shopping, ok?
What to see for yourself what I am talking about? Check out this small sound & slideshow at youtube, presenting Maura Jarquín’s point of view. Clic for Spanish or Danish version.

Posted by Christian Korsgaard