This... so incredibly important, needed - thx Fionn!
‘Rarely do we hear from the producers, those at the far end of the supply chain who have some of the least power but carry the most risk.’
I have not worked with farmers, coffee or otherwise, but did spend some years with small-scale (artisanal) fishers in Indonesia, and it is quite striking how the issues, the problems are similar: tremendous vulnerability w/much risk (#1 always! and fishing is the most dangerous occupation in the world by a large margin); erratic weather, w:seasonal patterns less reliable); little economic leverage bc you’re at very bottom of what often is a ‘long’ supply chain (multiple hands touching the product), which also means limited access to capital.
I could go on, but I think you can see the idea. Small producers (90% of the fishers on our planet are artisanal) are critical to the continued supply of a highly valued product (coffee in the global market, seafood in both global market and local subsistence communities) yet are increasingly vulnerable to economic exploitation and ruin.
This... so incredibly important, needed - thx Fionn!
‘Rarely do we hear from the producers, those at the far end of the supply chain who have some of the least power but carry the most risk.’
I have not worked with farmers, coffee or otherwise, but did spend some years with small-scale (artisanal) fishers in Indonesia, and it is quite striking how the issues, the problems are similar: tremendous vulnerability w/much risk (#1 always! and fishing is the most dangerous occupation in the world by a large margin); erratic weather, w:seasonal patterns less reliable); little economic leverage bc you’re at very bottom of what often is a ‘long’ supply chain (multiple hands touching the product), which also means limited access to capital.
I could go on, but I think you can see the idea. Small producers (90% of the fishers on our planet are artisanal) are critical to the continued supply of a highly valued product (coffee in the global market, seafood in both global market and local subsistence communities) yet are increasingly vulnerable to economic exploitation and ruin.