Fair Trade Awareness Week: Daniel Jaffee

Do you know where the coffee beans used to make your morning’s latte come from or how they were produced? Who was impacted through your purchase?

Daniel Jaffee, assistant professor of sociology at Washington State University Vancouver, answered these questions and more at a lecture Wednesday in CUE 202 on the Washington State University campus in Pullman. The lecture, “Brewing Justice: Fair Trade Coffee, Sustainability and Survival,” and question and answer session to follow were part of Fair Trade Awareness Week, which ran from Feb. 23^rd through Feb. 26^th.

Jaffee studied and lived in Teotlalco, Mexico. He researched the difference fair trade actually makes among coffee farmers and their families and whether it deters emigration. He also looked at the effect of the middle-men between the coffee grower and distributor.

During his 50-minute lecture, Jaffee answered three main questions: “Why doesn’t everyone join fair trade?” “Can fair trade scale up without selling out?” and “Can the fair trade system become not only bigger, but become fair-er?”

The professor spoke about Yeni Navan, Michiza, a fair trade importing co-op organization founded in mid ‘80s. Jaffee also referenced Starbucks, which claims their coffee is only 6% fair trade. He warned students to be weary of coffee branded as “fair trade” when justice along the entire supply chain is missing.

“Things I knew about fair trade were enhanced. Places I thought were fair trade (Starbucks) aren’t as fair trade as I thought,” Senior Kelsey K. Einig said after attending the lecture.

Though fair trade coffee and the concept of sustainability are popular and trendy within our culture, Jaffee noted that filling our shopping carts with fair trade products is not enough.

“We’re not going to shop our way to social justice,” Jaffee said.

Rather, he encouraged students to make local changes and petition on campus for 100% fair trade products. He cast vision for how a transition to fair trade products at WSU could make a substantial impact.

Jaffee said access to fair trade products improve social, environmental and economic conditions for participants though internal reforms are needed within the fair trade system.

Jaffee didn’t just leave it there, though. He outlined next steps needed for fair trade and how the program can improve.

Following the speech, a question and answer session highlighted students’ concerns, questions and personal research. Some questions focused on the impact on farmers, how fair trade can be comparable economically and whose losing their jobs when fair trade cuts out the middle men.

WSU registered student organizations who helped put on Fair Trade Awareness Week include: Art Student Union, International Justice Mission, Progressive Student Union and Young Democrats. Resonate church also helped facilitate Fair Trade Awareness Week.