Coffee Industry Essay Example for Free

Coffee Industry Essay People usually drink coffee to stay up while awake at night, besides that many people rely on coffee to get their day started. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, â€Å"Drinking coffee can lead to a longer life†; however, many consumers have no idea of the impact of habits on their coffee and coffee farmers around the globe, ethical issues of consumers with the industry is not fair; but to coffee farmers, the issues are human rights violations and use of child labor issues need to be addressed. To remedy this situation, the fair trade will hopefully improve the living conditions of some of the poorest people in the world through certified value and the change in the consumers choice. Coffee is one of the most valuable commodities in the world, most of the farmers in the form of small retail and come from developing countries, although the majority of coffee sales are in the America and Europe many people around the world rely on coffee to work and have a better life; however, to producing quality coffee, farmers have to work very hard though farmers receive very little money and the inequity of the coffee producing companies when they sell coffee. Working conditions of farmers in the plantations are very different, although they work hard , but it paid for exploitation, for example , in Guatemala , coffee pickers to harvest 100 pounds to get the minimum wage $ 3 per day (The Problem with Fair Trade Coffee 2010),farmers have to work overtime and do not earn extra money, so farmers use child labor for the production of coffee to save money and use these chemicals effect of the human body in order for a fast development of coffee sale on the market. Moreover, using the chemicals and the development of the coffee industry adversely affect habitat and species decline. In addition, forests are cut down to coffee production affects the environment and soil erosion. According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF), â€Å"converting forest to tea and coffee agriculture can also create erosion and soil loss† (WWF 2010) ; yet the farmers have no choice and/or the opportunity to change. According to the International Coffee Organization or ICO â€Å"Coffee production in 2012 was 144 611 000 bags, mostly from less developed countries such as, Brazil 50 826 000 bags. Vietnam 22 000 000 bags and Indonesia 12 730 000 bags â€Å" (ICO 2013), though coffee production is highly ranked in the world, but farmers still do not get enough money to pay for life, for example, Vietnam in 2012, producing nearly 30 % of world coffee production but the turnover is only 10 % of the total trade value obtained from the global industry, the main reason is due to their ability to improve processing of value and coffee products are limited, coffee roasting plants in countries with rates lower than 10%, when farmers sells 1kg of coffee beans, farmers gets about 2 dollars or an average price of one cup of coffee oversea, yet 1 kg of coffee can make 50 cups. In addition, the links between farmers and enterprises are not strong, the lack of information on farmers markets, so farmers often extorted. Moreover, the risk of crop failure is the fear of the coffee growers. Most of the profits from coffee for export processing enterprises, coffee farmers only enjoy a small percentage. That has caused insecurity for farmers. Solution to this problem is the fair trade. According to Wikimedia, Fair trade coffee is coffee that is certified as having been produced and marketed to a stated set of standards. Many Customers pay a higher price when buying coffee with the certification logo or brand in the Belief Furniture , by doing so, they are helping farmers in the Third World . In particular, the fair trade coffee movement gives a reasonable price to the Farmers who were being a low wage labor exploitation. However, achieve certification of fair trade, farmers must meet several conditions of production as farmers have to meet a large variety of production standards : there are limits on the use of child labor , pesticides , herbicides , genetically modified products , etc. With these standards met, both consumers and farmers can benefit, with farmers getting the sufficient amount of money for their products, and the consumers getting their product knowing it’s safe to consume and has no effect on the producers financially or ethnically. These farmers must cooperate with businesses to produce the certified products, such amounts received will be higher and the lives of the farmers would be better. In addition, consumers should choose certified products in the supermarket or the market as this will support and will be helpful for farmers. In conclusion, fair trading is the way for farmers and coffee producers to get a higher amount, and will change lives for the better. Therefore farmers should choose fair trade to ensure benefits and consumers should choose products that have been certified to support the farmers. Reference * The problem with Fair Trade Coffee. * Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://www. ssireview. org/articles/entry/the_problem_with_fair_trade_coffee * Coffee Production and Labor * Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://www. organicconsumers. org/starbucks/coffeelabor. htm * Fair Trade Coffee * Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Fair_trade_coffee * International Coffee Organization- EXPORTING COUNTRIES: TOTAL PRODUCTION * Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://www. ico. org/prices/po. htm * Health and effect of Coffee. * Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Health_effects_of_coffee * Environmental Impacts of Coffee and Tea Production * Retrieved September 2, 2013 from http://www. hellogreentomorrow. com/blog/2010/11/environmental-impacts-of-coffee-and-tea-production.

Essay --

In this day and age, many argue that the United States has an â€Å"apathy problem.† According to The Huffington Post, â€Å"America is truly exceptional in its ability not to care.† The only time we are concerned about an issue, is only if and when it personally affects us. This is also the circumstance in regards to politics. Citizens must have reliable information in order to make good, rational decisions that will help our political system run efficiently. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. According to Converse, â€Å"most Americans glance at public life innocent of ideological concepts and unguided by any broad outlook on government policy† (Kinder and Sanders, 1996, p. 167). In such a society, there is no such thing as equal representation, only popular representation, as a result of the disparities and ignorance of the people. Converse makes very valid arguments that confirm that regardless of ideological innocence, political electorates, as a wh ole, will continue to be consistent with the changing conditions of society. In the past, the â€Å"information problem† was the scarcity of information and the disconnected flow of information to the voters. Today, the problem is one of â€Å"superabundance† (Converse, 1990, p. 371). Because there is such a massive volume of information available, it is difficult to organize and rummage through it all. Corresponding to Down’s Rational Choice theory, rational voters will not make an effort to analyze such information because there are higher costs than benefits to search through and find â€Å"good† information (Converse, 1964, p. 33). Consequently, there is a huge disparity—a difference that we greatly underestimate—between the ignorant and the well-informed constituents. According to Converse, there... ...presentation fidelity â€Å"is higher for the better-educated constituents† (Converse, 1990, p. 387). This is the case because politically sophisticated entities will be more vocal and more involved in legislation. Our society is a mix of the two models, issue-public and top-down, so it only makes sense that information will be unequally distributed. Although we don't like to admit it much, we are a very indifferent society, so people do not care; they will simply delve into and further develop their expertise on topics that they are specifically interested in. However, there is no need to fret. Everyone is different and has distinct interests and skills. After all, there are nine different types of intelligences—some excel in Math while others outshine in English. Therefore, we should leave politics to the professionals and the well-informed constituents.

A Disappointing Holiday

The cool breeze swept through my hair, making me shiver with excitement. I arched my neck to take full view of the breathtaking beauty of Eiffel Tower, which towered above me like some iron giant. It was such a lovely day. The melodious chime of the twittering birds filled me with glee. The sun too, it seemed, was in a playful mood, playing hide and seek behind the fluffy clouds. â€Å"Trrring trrring! † The telephone rang all of a sudden; bringing me out of the scenic beauties my mind was roaming in. â€Å"Hello† I said. â€Å"Oh! Hello Ferva beta! I have some good news for you! † It was my uncle. Yes, yes! I am listening! † I replied enthusiastically. â€Å"Well! Your tickets have been confirmed for day after tomorrow. † â€Å"Oh really! † â€Å"Yes. Now be ready beta. Don’t miss out anything and take care! Goodbye! † â€Å"Goodbye uncle! † I replied, bringing our conversation to an end. I breathed deeply, thinking of th e adventures in store for me. Ever since my uncle had invited me to visit his family in Paris during my holidays, I had been simply restless. I had been surfing the Net since the past few days for the best tourist locations, and had even set out a travel plan.I was to travel to Paris and visit the monumental beauties of France. Switzerland’s picturesque locations would be my next destination, where I would scale the snowy Alps; move on to Holland and witness the magnificent windmills; a day or two in Italy, and then back to Paris. It was all perfectly planned! These vacations would be the best ones I ever had! The next day was spent fidgeting around endlessly. My mother gave me a box of chocolates as a token of love, and my sister just couldn’t stop reading out her endless wish list! My father was to drive me to the airport, and I counted each passing second in wait. Honk, honk! † â€Å"Finally,† I cried, and headed straight towards the staircase in full s peed. I really couldn’t believe it! My dream vacation was at last going to come true! Once again my mind wandered to the lush green valleys of Europe and I†¦ â€Å"Ouch! † A sharp cry of pain left my mouth as I found myself sprawled on the concrete steps. In my haste, I had hurt myself. The car that was to take me to the airport took me to the hospital instead. This was the most devastating moment for me. I could not help thinking that my flight was leaving without me, my dream had shattered within the blink of an eye.At the hospital, what I thought was a sprain turned out to be a fracture, and I was strictly restricted to six weeks of complete bed rest. A pall of gloom hung over me as I heard my mother call my uncle to inform him of the accident. I was brought home, and though my fracture had healed to a certain extent, my misery never left me. â€Å"Oh, come on! † said my sister, â€Å"my shopping list can wait until next time! † she added cheerful ly. But I could only answer her with a wry smile. It just seemed impossible for me to come to terms with the fact that my plans could fail.And it was in this time of disappointment that I even complained to Allah. once when I was crying silently over how my hopes had been shattered, my mother came up to me and holding my hand said. â€Å"Beta, I know that you have been let down but you must learn that this is part of life. † She paused to take a breath. â€Å"Always remember, God never harms his creations. In fact, there is always betterment behind every decision. † The calm words of my mother made me realise that no matter how much we plan, the ultimate power is God. This moment of truth made me feel better than before.

Essay on Artist Pain Exposed in Kafkas A Hunger Artist

Artist Pain Exposed in Kafkas A Hunger Artist In A Hunger Artist, Kafka comments on the life of the modern artist through the life of a hunger artist. Kafka comments that the modern artist is always dissatisfied with his or her art. The modern artist also is trapped in a harsh and capricious world, in which the artist struggles to maintain his or her audience by pushing the extreme, but are cheated because they do not receive his or her recognition. Finally, in A Hunger Artist Kafka refers to the modern artists struggle between the need for fame and the need for isolation. As a modern artist, Kafka has experienced the qualities that characterize the modern artist and his experiences have greatly influenced his work,†¦show more content†¦In A Hunger Artist the artist joins the circus and wants to astound the world by setting a fasting record. However, the more the artist fasted the more the crowds ignored him. Critic R.O.C. Winkler suggests that the crowds ignored the artist because of a corruption in the relationships b etween humans.iii[iii] The corruption is seen when a passer-by stopped and looked at the old figure on the sign and spoke of swindling. The comment made by the passer-by cheated the hunger artist of his recognition, and showed the worlds inborn malice and indifference. The hunger artists eroded cage, comprised of dirty and illegible placards, the pointless sign tracking the days of the fast and dirty straw, further signified the corruption in the relationship between the hunger artist and the world. During Kafkas lifetime he saw a shift in his audiences attention and felt alienated by modern society.iv As the hunger artist sought the crowds attention he was also trapped in another struggle between his need for fame and his need for isolation. The struggle is seen when the artists cage was set up near the animals in the circus. As people walked to the menagerie they saw the artist and some stayed and stared and others rushed off to see the animals. Ironically, the artist disliked the people