Marc Francis is the director of the film I saw earlier in the year, Black Gold. Black Gold looks at the unfair price coffee producers are being paid. I went along to a talk Marc gave for the World Development Movement in Brighton in November 2007. After the talk me, Marc and a local who works in the fair coffee industry had a discussion about what can be done next and some of the wider issues surrounding the film.
Who is Marc Francis?
Marc’s background in a nutshell is that he started out with an interest in the coffee industry when his brother Nick went to live in Ethiopia for 10 years and became aware of the problems with price there. They then decided to make a film together about these issues. For the story of the film they decided to focus on one Ethiopian who is trying to get a fair price for his coffee, Tadesse Meskala.
The Brighton connection
Marc is from Brighton, and he currently lives here (which begs the question, why was he not invited to speak at the screening I went to?). The film is also partially filmed in Brighton, as Tadesse visits the local branch of Waitrose to try and find his coffee for sale.
Who is the film aimed at?
Marc explained that this film is aimed not so much at the already converted which so many films of this kind reach and reach no further. This one is aimed at the masses, who can then be encouraged to make their own choices. If you want to continue shopping at Starbucks, fine, if you decide fair-trade is for you, fine. Its about bringing the issues to the masses and letting them make their own choices.
How did Starbucks react to the film?
Marc explained that Starbucks, sponsors of the Toronto film festival where Black Gold debuted, invited the makers of the film to their offices and allowed them to put their viewpoints across. They then managed to sabotage press for the film in Seattle by inviting Tadesse to their offices and photographing him drinking from a Starbucks cup. They also stated in a leaked memo that they believe the film is ‘inaccurate and incomplete’.
Is fair trade really fair?
During the meeting there was some criticism from the audience of the way the fair trade movement has progressed. For example, the price that must be paid for the fair trade seal can cost up to $7000 for a small farming co-operative of 7. Some co-ops cannot afford this and are losing business.
In addition Fair Trade is only guaranteeing producers a relatively low rate, currently around $1.27 or if the New York commodity price is above this, 5 cents above that. It is argued that this is still way too low.
In addition corporations have adopted the fair trade label. They have social responsibility departments to make it look like they are doing something they are not. These departments come up with terms and names that make them sound like they are doing fair trade.
One thing that came of these discussions is that fair trade is one way of doing things, but there are others. The key to all of this is that the producers get the best price for their coffee. This can be by doing a deal with Nestle, or a fair trade co-op. Who will give them the better price? This is the bottom line. Like the western world, all these people want is money to live well (and not nearly as well as we do). They are offering the world’s greatest commodity after all, they should be able to afford shoes.
If you really want to make a change Marc explained, buying fair trade is not enough. You must work to enforce policy change, so that the producers can dictate to us the price we pay, not the other way round.
What about those claiming fair trade without a fair trade seal?
There are many coffee sellers such as Illy selling coffee without a fair-trade seal because they don’t feel they want one. However, Illy will not declare the price they pay to the producers when asked. Marc asks for transparency, for coffee companies to declare the price they pay the producers, if they are not going to use a fair trade seal.
Why is some expensive coffee not organic certified?
Quality coffee is always organic. There is no need for pesticides, its grown in the shade and cannot easily have pesticides placed on it. In addition these farmers cannot even afford the pesticides. At the same time, they cannot always afford the organic seal either. So it is likely to be organic even if it doesn’t declare this.
Why is fair trade coffee so expensive?
Fair trade coffee is more expensive than normal coffee, but Marc explained that’s because the price of normal coffee has been artificially lowered by the supermarkets. Fair trade is not a high price, it’s the genuine price.
Will there be a Black Gold 2?
During the evening Marc gave some clues about a number of projects which can be seen as a Black Gold 2. He views the discussions, action that comes out of them and changes as a second part to the film. He is also working on a project involving the same themes, and as he discussed this privately, I will simply say that it may come as an unusual surprise if it comes to fruition.
He and his brother are working on an second film, which is best left till completion to discuss. It sounds like its going to be fascinating though.
Can one film really make a difference?
I concluded the evening by putting my own concerns about this world to Marc, there are so many problems and issues, trade prices being one, AIDS another (that’s my field in business hours), massive issues with governments worldwide, global warming, doesn’t it all become overwhelming at times? Does it ever seem pointless, putting so much effort into trying to effect change? Marc then reminded me of how the work of small groups or individuals such as the suffragettes, Rosa Parks and Ghandi has effected great changes. You take small steps to make a change.
For me the film has had an affect, I am writing about this topic, on a blog which is primarily for music and film reviews. The film inspired me to do more about the problem in my way. He is changing and forming opinions by presenting facts to a wide audience, and hes one of just two. There is a a lot of bad stuff going on, but we can change it step by step.
What next?
I’m going to make an effort to make my blog discuss issues such as these more than before, I’m going to buy coffee from the right suppliers, and I’m going to find other ways of improving the situation.
What are you going to? Please respond below with your views on the topic’s I’ve discussed.
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