Like most farming industries, coffee farmers also work hard but sometimes get very little in return. As coffee is a perennial crop, farmers are virtually forced to bond with the coffee bush. Coffee prices tend to flow in boom and bust cycles, and hence farmers suffer greatly during the crisis time. For example, from 1995 to 1997, Brazilian farmers were paid between $1.00 - $1.60 per pound of Arabica coffee. However, in 2002 (just a few years later), the same farmers were barely making US $0.25 - 0.30 for the same coffee.
Many farmers from developing countries grow coffee with the hope that it would offer them a chance to escape poverty. But is this the case? Let's meet them (or look below) to explore and understand the coffee crisis from their perspectives.
Websites:
International Coffee Organization http://www.ico.org
Interviews with:
Mr. ©Michiel Kuit
Expert on coffee farming
Local Project Co-ordinator "Public Private Parnership" (PPP) project "Improvement of Coffee Quality and Sustainability of Coffee Production in Vietnam"
Khom 1 TT Khe Sanh, Huong Hoa, Quang Tri, VietnamMr. Nguyen Van Chinh
Farming extension officer in Quang Tri Province.