The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent consumer label, which appears on products as an independent guarantee that disadvantaged producers in the developing world are getting a better deal.

Case study: Fair trade coffee from Cost Rica

'I wanted my children to have an education so that they could choose what they want to do.'

Edgar is a coffee farmer from Costa Rica.  He is married, with 7 children, and is 57 years old.  Edgar's enduring passion is educating his children.  'All my life, all I have ever done is work, work, work - only work.  I had no choice.  I wanted my children to have an education so that they could choose what they want to do.'

Two of Edgar's children have received financial support for their education, from his cooperative, Coopeldos, through a scheme partly funded by the Fair-trade premium.  The farmers of Coopeldos are able to sell between 30-40% of their coffee to the Fair-trade market.  For this portion, they receive a price, guaranteed to cover the costs of production and living expenses.  For the rest, they receive the world market price, which for the last few years has been very low, below the cost of production.

Edgar says that over recent years, though the price of coffee has gone down, his expenses have remained the same.  'You do the same with less money.'  Edgar fears that without Fair-trade things would go downhill and he wouldn't be able to repay debts.  His hope for the future and his message to consumers is blunt.  'I'd say - drink lots more coffee!'

Source: www.fairtrade.org.uk/suppliers_growers_coffee_edgar.htm

Useful web links:

www.fairtrade.org.uk This excellent website from the Fair-trade Foundation contains a great deal of information about fair-trade issues, products and the benefits fair-trade can bring to farmers in the developing world.

www.oxfam.org.uk/what_we_do/fairtrade This website from Oxfam contains a wide range of information and resources about fair-trade.  Oxfam was one of the pioneers of fair-trade more than forty years ago and sells FAIRTRADE-marked food and drinks in its shops.

www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/kidsweb/fairtrade This web link is part of Oxfam’s Cool Planet website for pupils.  It explains fair-trade and uses the example of fair-trade bananas - see ‘Bonkers about Bananas’ and follow a banana’s journey from the Caribbean to the UK and find out how fair-trade benefits banana farmers.

www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/kidsweb/fairtrade/fairtrade3.htm This web link is also part of Oxfam’s Cool Planet website and presents information about cocoa farmers in Ghana (The Kuapa Kokoo Co-operative) who have benefited from supplying cocoa to fair-trade companies.