Culture, Community, and Sustainability - Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems - page 338

COMMUNITY AGROECOLOGY NETWORK

The Community Agroecology Network (CAN) directly links farm communities in Central America with consumers
in North America. By reducing the links in the coffee supply chain to the minimum, CAN is able to provide the
farmers who grow the coffee with a much higher rate of return than they could get in the conventional coffee market.
This fairer economic return supports farmers' efforts to grow their coffee using more ecologically benign methods,
and it promotes sustainable livelihoods and economic development in the producer communities.
CAN originated in discussions among six researchers with more than 65 collective years of experience working
with communities and farmer groups in Latin America. Concerned about the environmental and social impacts of
the deepening coffee crisis, they explored ways of supporting the coffee-growing communities where they had
developed long-term relationships. The direct-trade system that is now the core of CAN's efforts seemed the best
foundation for accomplishing all their goals.
The name Community Agroecology Network was chosen because each word describes an important feature of
the organization and its mission:
Community: The organization strives to improve the social and economic health of the producer communities,
working with farmers and their families, farmer cooperatives, women's organizations, churches, and schools to help
them implement their vision of integrating sustainable livelihoods and conservation practices. In North American
communities, CAN works with universities and fair and alternative trade organizations and builds a membership
network linking people interested in more conscientious consumption.
Agroecology: Through research and education, CAN promotes an agroecologically based approach to growing
coffee in the mountainous tropical rainforest ecosystems of Latin America. With CAN's direct trade system freeing
them from the need to emphasize short-term production over sustainability just to survive, farmers in the producer
communities can apply agroecological principles that protect watersheds, soils, biodiversity, and the health of their
communities. A direct link is established between an improved economic return and protection of environmental
resources (Figure 23.7).
Network: CAN works to form networks and alliances among consumers, within producer communities, among
different producer communities, and between consumers and producers. Local networks in the producer communities
are based on face-to-face interaction. The broader network established between consumers and producers relies on
the Internet and other forms of information technology. Through this latter network, the coffee drinker gains an
understanding of the individuals and the ecosystems that produce his or her coffee, and farmers learn about the people
drinking their coffee. Together they can forge relationships of mutual concern and commitment to sustainability.
CAN is part of a growing movement that uses the communication and technology tools of globalization to build
extended alternative food networks. With these tools, the exchange between farmers and consumers that takes place
at farmers' markets can now be scaled up to an international level — creating the beginnings of a kind of global
farmer's market.

Distributor

Roaster

Retailer
Roaster

Consumers

Importer

CAN
Cooperative

Broker

Importer

Exporter

Coffee
Farmers

Coffee

Cooperative

Transformer

Farmers

Transporter

CAN Coffee: CAN Coffee:

$3.77 to the

Fair Trade: Fair Trade:

$1.26 to the

Conventional: Conventional:

$0.55 to the

$3.77 to the
Coopabuena Coop

$1.26 to the
Farmer Coop-

$0.55 to the
Farm / Plantation Coopabuena Coop

Farmers

Farmer Coop-
cratives

Farm / Plantation
Owner

Farmers

cratives Owner

FIGURE 23.7 Comparison of three coffee supply chains. Each pound of CAN coffee sold directly to consumers returns up
to $3.77 to farmers. In comparison, farmers received $1.26 for Fair Trade coffee and only $0.55 for conventional coffee during
the depths of the coffee crisis in 2002-3. Graphic courtesy of CAN.