Fair Trade Coffee: Perceptions of the Fair Trade coffee growers of Marsella

Abstract

Fair Trade was set in motion to support the small scale coffee growers who struggle with neo-liberal policies. With a minimum price and offering a social premium attempts Fair Trade to improve the livelihoods and lives of the coffee growers and their communities. Colombia is one of the biggest coffee producers in the world and the production is dominated by small scale growers. How does Fair Trade offers those Colombian small scale growers a sustainable development? This is a case study of a small coffee community in Colombia named: Marsella. The perceptions about social and economic improvement due to Fair Trade differ among the cafeteros. Some see social improvements other small economic improvements but in general is the perception that Fair Trade has a marginal positive impact. Besides are social capital and social identity of the Fair Trade coffee growers investigated. However the cafeteros see themselves as free and independent do some forms of social capital have influence on their social identity, but Fair Trade very little. Nevertheless does Fair Trade have a positive influence on the lives of the cafeteros.