Essay Example on Fairtrade Social Movement: Securing a Better Future for Coffee Farmers

The security of coffee depends on the marketing strategies used to sell it to the outside world. The film Black Gold (USA. 2006), demonstrates how multinational coffee companies dominate an industry worth over $80 billion (Francis). However, the coffee farmers are poorly paid and some have abandoned the production to other well-paying activities. Fairtrade Social Movement is an organization designed to assist the farmers to achieve better payments for their products (Wilkinson 225). The social organizations are established to aid producers from the developing countries to attain better trading conditions for their commodities. Tadesse Meskela can join the coffee fair trade movements to achieve better payments for coffee because it connects consumers to producers. Although the film Back Gold demonstrates the improvised life of Ethiopian coffee growers, they can achieve better trading conditions if they join the Fair Trade movement.

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The prices of Ethiopian coffee continue to decline, despite it being the best quality in the market. Tadesse Meskela is one man on a mission to save his 74,000 struggling coffee farmers from bankruptcy (Francis). The movie was to open the eyes of consumers who buy coffee at an expensive price and yet only a few coins reach the producers. The Fair-trade organizations bring to awareness the impacts of consumer buying habits to the producers. Companies that buy coffee play a significant in connecting the value chain because they link producers to consumers (Wilkinson 220). The businesses help consumers by building a personal connection to the products they buy. This connection transforms their experience and increases their loyalty to the product. Moreover, the Fair-trade is important to the Ethiopian coffee farmers because it provides them with infrastructure such as roads, and electricity to improve their living standards.

The Ethiopian coffee farmers will benefit through the Fair Trade in several ways. The movement will provide alternative trading networks for their coffee. Tadesse Meskela in the company of other officials was forced to sign a contract they did not agree with the terms (Francis). Another advantage is selling labeled products to increase sales of the products. Coffee farmers in Ethiopia would withdraw many middlemen who take almost all their income. The Trade Fair Movements will sell labeled coffee to businesses that will sell directly to the consumers. Moreover, consumers would buy labeled products to improve the lives of the producers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, although the best coffee is produced in Ethiopia, the lives of the farmers have not changed. They live in massive poverty as demonstrated by the film Black Gold. Coffee is a black gold hence it cannot improve their living standards. The farmers should join the Trade Fair Movement to achieve better trading conditions in developed countries. The organization will help them achieve equality in international trade through transparency in dialogue and fair treatment of all producers.

Works Cited

Wilkinson, John. "Fairtrade: Dynamic and dilemmas of a market-oriented global social movement." Journal of consumer policy 30.3 (2007): 219-239.

Francis, Nick. Black old. {Video File}. 2006. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/blackgold