Dopady mezinárodní obchodu s kávou na producentské rozvojové země

In the second half of the 20th century many new subjects entered the coffee producing business attracted by high coffee prices on the regulated market. When the regulations were lifted in 1989 prices dropped to a 30 year minimum. Low prices now have a negative impact on small producers who cannot compete with large plantation production because they do not attain economies of scales as they are growing coffee on small plots using traditional methods. When thinking about solutions to the current situation, we must not forget that these small farmers often produce coffee of higher quality and more importantly that their fields are areas of high biodiversity taking up the function of dissappearing rainforests. International Coffee Organization looks for global solutions like imposing higher quality standards on traded coffee. Individual consumers can help resolve the situation by buying coffee from small farmers whose production techniques are helping to conserve biodiversity. Such coffee can be found under the labels Shade Grown or Organic. Fair Trade certificate does not tell us anything about environmental protection, it is however still better than the purchase of none certified coffee. In Fair Trade coffee usually has a country of origin. By purchasing that coffee consumer can promote coffee production in that particular country. Ethiopia is highly dependent on coffee. It is also coffee's original home, meaning that it is also home to wild coffee plants and coffee plants with genes that can not be found anywhere else. Wild coffee plants are often found in forests that are however dissappearing fast. For the future of coffee growing it is necessary to conserve the original coffee population for generations to come. By purchasing Ethiopian coffee the consumer helps support the whole sector and raise interest in protection of coffee forests.