Café Economique: Is Fair Trade fair? The true cost of your morning coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

A talk by Fernando Morales-de la Cruz, founder of Café for Change (http://www.cafeforchange.org).

Contrary to what consumers have been led to believe by the misleading marketing campaigns of coffee companies, stores, major charities and even small coffee shops so called Fairtrade or certified coffee, chai (tea) and cacao (cocoa), marketed under brands such as Fairtrade, UTZ, Rainforest Alliance and 4C, are not at all fair to producers or farm workers, and even less to their families. The net result of Fairtrade and certifications is the concentration of billions of dollars in profits, added value and taxes for developed nations and poverty for most of those certified.

The business model of Fairtrade and certified coffee, chai and cacao is to pay a “premium” to farmers and cooperatives after they have paid the cost of certification -it translates into an insignificant shared value for producers, farmers, farm workers. It seems that Fairtrade and certified coffee, chai and cacao are actually perpetuating poverty.

A suggested donation of £4 per person to cover room hire costs.