Food 4 Farmers Board members and University of Vermont researchers Ernesto Mendez and Martha Caswell, with Chris Bacon of Santa Clara University, have published a report on food insecurity in coffee-producing communities.
“In recent years, there has been growing discussion within the specialty coffee industry about the prevalence of seasonal food insecurity in coffee growing communities. The idea that coffee producers lack resources to feed themselves and their families flies in the face of Fair Trade and other sustainable coffee initiatives, which were designed to ensure a viable livelihood and improved conditions for small-scale coffee farmers around the world. Though these certifications represent an important step toward delivering better prices to farmers, they are inadequate tools to stand alone against the formidable and entrenched barriers faced by this population.”
