Ethical Issues in Coffee Supply Chains
Added on 2020-01-28
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Essay
What is the injustice and what factors determine it?Coffee can be determined as a brewed drink that is prepared from roasted coffee beans.There are different countries in which these beans are cultivated (Horvat, Antic and Jeremic,2015). In this context, at initial stage it was primarily cultivated form Africa, India, South eastAsia and America. However, coffee plants is now cultivated in over more than 70 countries.Coffee is considered to be slightly acidic and it also has stimulating impact over individuals as itconsists of content like caffeine. There are many violations that are faced by farmers and thishave negative impact over the economic condition that can be determined by micro meso andmacro (Lee and Vachon, 2016). Present report covers about the most problematic Human Rightsviolations as per the case of coffee. Further, it covers the ethical issues that are faced in coffee inrelation with micro, meso and macro levels of economy.When coffee is produced, then it goes through different levels so as to make it reach totheir ultimate customers. There are different type of intermediaries who take up the product anddeliver it to customers (Formentini and Taticchi, 2016). In this context, it includes intermediarieslike corporative, second level corporative, shipping and many more. The materials that arebought from farmers by corporations do not provide these farmers with proper wages forcultivation done by them. This is a type of human right violation that is faced by these farmers. Ifsomehow, farmers are able to sell their material of coffee directly to customers, then they canearn huge amount of money.With this respect, it includes people like farmworkers, migrant and coffee pickers can bedetermined as the most vulnerable groups that are involved in production or harvesting of coffee(Beske, Land and Seuring, 2014). As per an analysis it has been found that about 80% that means20 million people are trapped in the cycle of subsistence farming. Further, when coffee iscultivated by farmers, then the total time required to reach the product to customers is six monthstime. There are different type of advocates for Fair trade and even organic coffee are also puttingall their efforts to provide farmers with proper wages but farmers just get paltry share of the pie(Pagell and Shevchenko, 2014). As per an estimation, in a year farmer of small scale producesabout 500 pounds of Fair Trade organic coffee and it enables them to gain about $1.30 a pound.This type of issues of not getting fair trade is due to improper knowledge of farmers towardsdifferent aspect of delivering coffee and this increases the intermediaries (Garrett, Lambin andNaylor, 2013).1
There are different set of violations that take place and it includes failure to pay workerseven with minimum wages and that also make them work for long hours. Further, it includesexploitation of migrant workers, make children's work, illegal hiring of coffee pickers, etc.(Farmworkers Left Behind: The Human Cost of Coffee Production, 2013). Moreover, there aredifferent type of issues or challenges that are by farmers. In this context, below given areviolations that are faced by farmers who cultivate coffee:Housing conditions: For cultivation of coffee, migrants are called on for work and theyface different type of housing issues (Horvat, Antic and Jeremic, 2015). Farmers have to stay atsingle rooms in which they are not even provided with basic facilities like lighting, drinkingwater, etc. This falls under micro level of economy. It is a type of economic condition in whichstudy is conducted in context of a particular market and mostly at all the part of country farmersare not provided with proper housing condition. Working conditions: Farmers commonly face unsafe working conditions in coffee fields.This is generally occurs as they are not provided with proper tool through which they canperform their work (Garrett, Lambin and Naylor, 2013). The farm in which coffee is cultivatedhave snakes, fire ants and spiders. Similarly, at different levels of development of coffee,employees are not given proper care and protect. This type of issue fall under macro economiclevel. It studies about the over all economic condition rather than focusing over particular regionof sector. When they are not given right type of equipments, then it causes tremendous hazard forworkers. When insects get in touch with body, then it causes negative impact over the health.This is a type of violations that is undergone by farmers who cultivate coffee. Low wages: In most of the countries, farmers do not have contract signed with any of theorganizations so that they could be paid with right wages or payment. They are being paid as perthe type the production that they have contributed (Lee and Vachon, 2016). Further, farmers doesnot have any type of other evidence of policies that they implement towards employer and as aresult employers take advantage of it and make them work. In this context, it can be stated thatlow wages are the main issues for most of the farmers around the world. This condition isconsidered to be meso as both regional and other markets, this type of violation takes placeamong farmers. Coffee beans are harvested during season time and they are paid as per thecoffee they have picked up. In places like Nicaragua, farmers are paid up to 2-3 dollars per day.However, as per the law, minimum wages that should be provided on the basis of per day work2
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