Brewing Justice: Fair Trade Coffee, Sustainability, And Survival

Fair trade has emerged as a fast-growing alternative market intended to bring better prices and greater social justice to small farmers around the world. But is it working? This vivid and detailed study of coffee farmers in Mexico offers the first thorough investigation of the social, economic, and environmental benefits of fair trade. Based on extensive research in Zapotec indigenous communities in the state of Oaxaca, Brewing Justice follows the members of the cooperative Michiza, whose organic coffee is sold on the international fair trade market. It compares these families to conventional farming families in the same region, who depend on local middlemen and are vulnerable to the fluctuations of the world coffee market. Written in a clear and accessible style, the book carries readers into the lives of these coffee producer households and their communities, offering a nuanced analysis of the effects of fair trade on everyday life. Brewing Justice also paints a clear picture of the complex dynamics of the fair trade market and its relationship to larger global markets. Drawing on interviews with dozens of fair trade leaders, the book explores the changing politics of the international fair trade movement and provides recommendations for strengthening fair trade.