Confronting the Coffee Crisis: Fair Trade, Sustainable Livelihoods and Ecosystems in Mexico
and Central America by Christopher M. Bacon, V. Ernesto MA¿ndez, Stephen R. Gliessman,
David Goodman, Jonathan A. Fox
Our morning cups of coffee connect us to a global industry and an export crisis in the tropics
that is destroying livelihoods, undermining the cohesion of families and communities, and
threatening ecosystems. Confronting the Coffee Crisis explores small-scale farming, the political
economy of the global coffee industry, and initiatives that claim to promote more sustainable rural
development in coffee-producing communities. Contributors review the historical, political, economic,
and agroecological processes within today's coffee industry and analyze the severely depressed export
market that faces small-scale growers in Mexico and Central America.
The book presents a series of interdisciplinary, empirically rich case studies showing how small-
scale farmers manage ecosystems and organize collectively as they seek useful collaborations with
international NGOs and coffee companies to create opportunities for themselves in the coffee market.
The findings demonstrate the interconnections among farmer livelihoods, biodiversity, conservation,
and changing coffee markets. Additional chapters examine alternative trade practices, certification,
and eco-labeling, discussing the politics and market growth of organic, shade-grown, and Fair Trade
coffees. Combining interdisciplinary research with case-study analysis at scales ranging from the
local to the global, Confronting the Coffee Crisis reveals the promise and the perils of efforts to
create a more sustainable coffee industry.
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