Coffee is one of the world’s most valuable agricultural commodities. While transnational coffee corporations enjoy high profits, many of the world’s 25 million coffee-producing households experience poverty. In recent years, coffee growers’ vulnerability has increased with market volatility, severe weather events, and political-economic crises.
In this context, farmer-owned cooperatives pursuing better prices have adopted certifications that support societal-ethical goals, including fair trade, environmental sustainability, and gender equity. Nevertheless, the efficacy of certifications to achieve social, economic and environmental aspirations remains an open question.
This talk will explore how coffee producers and their cooperatives have sought to improve their lives, adapt to climate change, conserve natural resources, and survive mounting insecurities. It will pay particular attention to farmers’ varied experiences with fair trade certifications and conundrums related to histories of colonialism and extractive global trade arrangements.
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