Farmers of the golden bean; Costa Rican households, global coffee, and fair trade

Farmers of the golden bean; Costa Rican households, global coffee, and fair trade.

Sick, Deborah.

Northern Illinois U. Press

2008

196 pages

$22.00

Paperback

HD8039

In 1990, Sick (sociology and anthropology, University of Ottawa) went to Costa Rica to study conditions among coffee growers in a remote village. She returned in 2006 to discover how life for them had changed under Fair Trade laws. She found that, while some growers benefited from selling to the Fair Trade Organization, others did better in continuing to sell to the conglomerates. She also noted that the changing global market had an impact on all coffee growers. Growers who had family members working either in the cities or abroad who sent back money seemed to have the best chance of success. The support of developed nations for sustainable agriculture is essential but the most important element to the survival of small farmers is the option to adapt to change as is necessary in their particular situations.

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