A First Look at Coffee and Justice
Part 2: Seeking Justice
Now that you have considered the importance of coffee in your own life and learned about the history of coffee and some of the justice issues present in the coffee industry, let's consider how people and organizations are responding.
In this activity, you will learn about the major coffee certifications and the work of non-profit organizations. Later on in this unit, you will also have the chance to hear from local leaders in coffee justice.
In What Ways are People and Organizations Seeking Justice?
Certifications
Certifications have long been part of the way that people have sought to create more a equitable coffee trade. Certifications, such as Fair trade, Organic, or Rainforest Alliance, are labels that show a coffee has met certain social and/or environmental standards. In this way, certifications serve as a way to communicate a business's justice commitments to conscientious customers. But, there is a great variety in what certifications require and how they operate. Additionally, some certifications have evolved since their initial creation. In these activities, you will learn about the major coffee certifications, their similarities and differences, and their roles in addressing justice issues in coffee.
Fair Trade
The Fair trade certification came out of the fair trade movement, a push for change in the global trade system, especially for products that come primarily from the Global South. A key aspect of Fair trade is the price premium co-ops receive, which creates fairer wages and allows producers to invest in their communities. Since the foundation of Fair trade, coffee, along with cocoa and tea, has been a key Fair trade product. However, as Fair trade has developed, its role in the coffee industry has shifted.
Watch this 8-minute video on the history of Fair trade from SFU Fair Trade
Think about questions like:
What are a few things you learned about Fair trade?
What is the dream of Fair trade?
How has Fair trade been successful? What challenges has it faced?
Activity: Add to the Coffee Timeline
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Add a few of the major events in fair trade history to the coffee timeline you created previously.
What else was happening in the coffee industry before or during the fair trade movement?
Other Certifications
Watch this 25-minute video comparing the major coffee certifications, along with Starbucks' C.A.F.E. and Nespresso’s AAA programs.
Think about questions like:
What justice issues does each certification seek to address?
What connections do see?
What distinctions do you see?
Activity: Comparing Certifications
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Make a table to compare the major coffee certifications. For each, include:
the main goal(s) of the certification
a few of the benefits to producers, consumers, or the earth
a few critiques, if any
Direct Trade
Direct trade, although not a certification, can also be considered a method of just coffee purchasing.
Read Chapter 21, “Direct Trade in Coffee” by Geoff Watts from Coffee: a comprehensive guide to the bean, the beverage, and the industry
Think about questions like:
What is the dream of direct trade?
How is direct trade different from Fair trade or other certifications?
What advantages or disadvantages do you see in this model?
Coffee_A_Comprehensive_Guide_to_the_Bean,_the_Beve..._----_(Part_II_The_State_of_the_Trade) (1).pdfActivity: Comparing Fair and Direct Trade
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Make a Venn Diagram with the similarities and differences between Fair and direct trade. Think about :
the structure of the model,
the impact that it has on producers
its strengths and weaknesses.
You can also write any questions you still have about Fair or direct trade, or both.
Non-profit Organizations
There are many nonprofit organizations that work on various justice issues in coffee. Divide into groups to explore one of the organizations below per group. For each organization, identify:
The justice issue(s) they seek to address. Use the list as a reference, but there may be additional issues not listed here.
The central mission of the organization
One specific strategy they use to tackle justice issues in coffee
Justice Issues
Gender equity
Poverty
Hunger
Education
Climate change resilience
Sustainable farming practices
Migration
Financial investment
Then, come together as a class and share about the organizations you learned about. Do you see any overlap in the organizations and their missions? What are some common themes in the strategies used to address justice issues?
Extension Activites
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Fair Trade History through Comics
Read the history of Fair trade through this comic book created by Equal Exchange
For each of the 9 sections, write one sentence summarizing the central idea of that section.
Then, in 150-250 words, reflect on how has this comic added to your understanding of Fair trade.
HistoryofFairTrade.pdfA Deeper Dive into Fair Trade
Read the article your professor assigns to you. Then, share and discuss: What is the dream of Fair trade? What are the limitations and critiques? What are the benefits? How has Fair trade changed over time and what is its current role?
2: The Problem with Fair Trade Coffee (Haight)
2011SU_CaseStudy_Haight.pdf3: Fair trade: Still a big plus for farmers and workers around the world by Paul Rice from Coffee: a comprehensive guide to the bean, the beverage, and the industry
Coffee_A_Comprehensive_Guide_to_the_Bean_the_Bever..._----_(22_Fair_Trade).pdfBrewing_Justice_Fair_Trade_Coffee,_Sustainability,..._ - - _(Epilogue_Seeking_Justice_in_a_Shifting_Terrain)_removed.pdfReferences
A Brief History of Fair Trade, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C22yzOxdUDg.
Cafe Femenino Foundation. “Cafe Femenino Foundation - Granting HOPE Worldwide since 2004,” January 25, 2023. https://cffoundation.org/.
Cole, Nikki Lisa, and Brown, Keith. "The Problem with Fair Trade Coffee." Contexts, vol. 13, no. 1, 2014, pp. 50–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/1536504214522009.
Coffee Certifications Explained, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmwoSqg0dqI.
The Coffee Trust. https://www.thecoffeetrust.org.
“Coffeelands.” https://coffeelands.crs.org/.
“Fairly Traded Coffee, Chocolate, Tea & Snacks – Equal Exchange.” https://shop.equalexchange.coop/.
Grounds for Health. https://groundsforhealth.org/.
Haight, Colleen. "The Problem With Fair Trade Coffee." Stanford Social Innovation Review, vol. 9, no. 3, 2011, pp. 74–79. https://doi.org/10.48558/CJ8S-D897
“Heifer International - Ending Hunger And Poverty.” https://www.heifer.org/.
“Home - Equal Origins.” https://equalorigins.org/.
“HRNS Implements Hands-on Smallholder Family Support.” https://www.hrnstiftung.org/.
“Humanitarian Aid Organization for Children | Save the Children.” https://www.savethechildren.org/?cid=Paid_Search:Bing_Paid:LP_Homepage:Brand:032918&s_kwcid=AL!9048!3!!p!!o!!organization%20save%20children&&msclkid=7c1b0c42571213abe19d683acdfdddc9&gclid=7c1b0c42571213abe19d683acdfdddc9&gclsrc=3p.ds.
IWCA. https://www.womenincoffee.org/.
Jaffee, Daniel. Brewing Justice: Fair Trade Coffee, Sustainability, and Survival. Updated edition. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520957886.
Pueblo a Pueblo. https://www.puebloapueblo.org/.
Robinson, Phyllis, and Nicholas Reid. The History of Authentic Fair Trade, 2013.
TechnoServe. https://www.technoserve.org/our-work/agriculture/coffee/.
Watts, Geoff. "Direct Trade in Coffee." Coffee: A Comprehensive Guide to the Bean, the Beverage, and the Industry, edited by Robert W. Thurston, Jonathan Morris, and Shawn Steiman, Rowman & Littlefield, 2013, pp. 121-127.