| Gourmet coffee lovers have been seeing a few new | | | | leads to |
| terms in the | | | | dubious claims by some of the corporate coffee |
| local premium coffee shop as they file past the | | | | representatives |
| seasonal retail | | | | and has lead to the need for certification |
| displays of roasted whole bean bagged coffees. | | | | authorities.One group, Fairtrade Labeling Organizations |
| Phrases include | | | | International (FLO) |
| eco-friendly, organic, shade grown, fair trade and | | | | has been active in monitoring and certifying, auditing |
| certified | | | | and |
| sustainable. Most often those beans seem to the | | | | verifying standards for sustainable coffees. Another, |
| casual buyer to | | | | named |
| be simply more expensive than the corporate | | | | Transfair USA, carries on similar activities in the |
| mega-brands.But these few phrases represent far | | | | American |
| more than at first glance, | | | | coffee market. Consumers are justifiably confused |
| including economic and social gains for the growing | | | | when many |
| regions and | | | | terms are applied to sustainable coffees and fail to |
| farmers, harvesters and processors of green coffee | | | | differentiate between organic, eco-friendly, fair trade |
| beans at the | | | | and |
| local level. Sustainable coffee means premium prices | | | | sustainable terms.Premium prices are sometimes |
| and quality | | | | supported by certification, |
| coffee due to organic farming practices, fair market | | | | labeling and monitoring by third-party organizations |
| payment for | | | | and |
| beans to local growers and quality controls being | | | | sometimes by local governments such as the |
| adopted by the | | | | "Jamaica Coffee |
| "certified" coffee brands.Those premium coffee | | | | Industry Board." But some labeling is simply slick sales |
| prices reflect growing concerns worldwide | | | | and PR |
| of paying fair wages to growers, using more | | | | by greedy corporations seeking premium prices for |
| expensive | | | | average coffee |
| ecologically friendly organic farming practices, better | | | | beans, so support for labeling initiatives and |
| pay for | | | | independent |
| traditionally underpaid harvesters and processing | | | | certification is growing.Fair Trade and sustainable |
| workers and | | | | coffees are seeing increasing |
| strict quality controls being adopted for "certified | | | | production in Central and South American growing |
| sustainable | | | | regions, most |
| coffees."Daniele Giovannucci consults with | | | | notably in Mexico and Peru. Columbia has seen some |
| governments, international | | | | pressure and |
| agencies, and businesses on coffee markets and | | | | attempts to divert production of cocaine with |
| production | | | | coffee crops for |
| strategies to improve competitiveness and support | | | | the fair trade market with little major success to |
| innovative | | | | report so |
| environmental and rural poverty reduction work. | | | | far. Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia are big |
| Giovannucci has | | | | participants in |
| authored exhaustive studies, including the 2003, "The | | | | sustainable coffees in Africa while East Timor, India |
| State of | | | | and |
| Sustainable Coffee Report - A Study of Twelve | | | | Indonesia are major supporters of sustainable |
| Major Markets." study discusses coffee market | | | | coffee in Asia.With the North American coffee |
| forces in Europe and Japan | | | | market dominated by multinational |
| and the growth of sustainable coffee around the | | | | giants Sara Lee, Kraft and Procter & Gamble, little |
| world, | | | | interest has |
| estimating that fair trade, organic, and eco-friendly | | | | been shown in adopting sustainable coffee by major |
| coffees | | | | corporate |
| represent less than 2 percent of coffee | | | | coffee producers. Meanwhile, Brazil and Vietnam, the |
| consumption in developed | | | | world's No. |
| markets.Another Giovannucci authored study, | | | | 1 and No. 2 coffee producers, respectively are |
| "Sustainable Coffee Survey | | | | flooding the |
| of the North American Specialty Coffee Industry," | | | | market with poor quality beans and driving down |
| he estimates | | | | coffee prices.But major grocery chains are seeing |
| the Global market for sustainable coffee to be | | | | demand for sustainable |
| approximately | | | | coffee and may adopt fair trade and organic |
| $565 million retail for over a million 60 kilo (about 132 | | | | coffees to sell |
| pounds) bags of green coffee beans. is estimated | | | | nationwide at Safeway, Kroger and Albertson's |
| that growers of certified sustainable coffees | | | | stores. Increases |
| can nearly double their income from otherwise | | | | in availability, demand and awareness of sustainable |
| depressed coffee | | | | coffee are |
| prices. So economically challenged third world | | | | leading to more of the same in a spiraling increase |
| countries see | | | | for fair |
| small farmers adopting organic growing techniques as | | | | trade organic and shade coffees in premium |
| a ticket | | | | markets. Some |
| out of poverty and subsistence. Corporate buyers | | | | sustainable coffees are even finding their way into |
| are attracted | | | | instant |
| to sustainable growers by consumer goodwill and | | | | coffees, but the vast majority of the sustainable |
| health concerns | | | | market is in |
| related to those organically grown coffees. This | | | | premium and specialty markets. |