Introduction
In this paper, I argue that the present coffee crop system in Brazil is and has always been destructive to the interest of local people and small farms. Furthermore, I contend that coffee plantations are based on a system established during the colonial era and reflect those inequities. I dispute the idea that the government in Brazil is trying to help small growers; evidence shows that the government has not established polices at local or national levels to protect Brazilians. In what follows, I will discuss 1) how the nineteenth century coffee plantations in Brazil came on the scene at a time when demand was high and the system sprawled unchecked until it collapsed on itself; 2) the result of planation clearing of rain forests and the introduction of non-native species that further impoverished Brazilians and wrecked the ecology of the rain forest there; and 3) how the people of Brazil are attempting to recoup from the devastating effects of commodification and industrialization. In this paper, I explore the rapid rise of coffee plantations in Brazil as it relates to globalization. Additionally, I will examine the way in which rain forest exploitation has resulted in permanent devastation to the country.
Colonial Era Plantation Systems
Coffee plantations were constructed during the colonial era and as such reflect the inequalities of the period. The rapid rise of coffee plantations in Brazil happened during the nineteenth century. The impact of coffee as a global commodity had not previously affected Brazil. Around 1812, changes in taste and trade increased the demand for coffee throughout the United States and Europe. As a result, of the demand, prices rose and coffee farmers looked for new places to grow coffee. They planted new varieties of trees and began growing coffee in Brazil. Coffee growers steadily increased the amount of Brazilian rain forests they cut down in order to grow coffee. By 1823, there were relatively large coffee plantations producing in Brazil. The coffee trade was interrupted and changed again when Spain and France considered waging war. At that time, coffee production became even more important because European coffee importers hurried to buy up the existing supply of coffee, thinking that the trade would become difficult when battles closed trade ocean routes (Pendergrast, 2010). Plantations grew without any regard for the impact on the environment or native populations. By examining the rapid development of coffee production in Brazil and its subsequent distribution the relative powerlessness of the people and ecology of Brazil is quite evident. Coffee growers from Europe literally invaded Brazil and transformed the country. Then when the market collapsed, Brazilians were left to bear the burden. Coffee growers in Brazil continued to ramp up production and care up more rain forest. When the huge harvests came in, producers flooded the market with coffee and prices collapsed. International trade had driven the process of collaboration and integration between the people and companies in Brazil. One of the first impacts of coffee trade globalization was the failure of import and export business in Berlin, London, and Paris. The people working for farms in Brazil lost everything as coffee prices continued to fluctuate. Coffee became a product of globalization so quickly during the industrial revolution that it completely transformed Brazil’s politics, economy, and ecology (Pendergrast, 2010).
Ecological and Economic Collapse
Clearing rain forests in order to establish plantations destabilized the ecology of Brazil and subsequently the economy. Growers introduced non-native species that impoverished the land and small farmers. Coffee growers cut down the rain forest and planted invasive species of trees along with coffee crops. The genetic diversity of the rain forest had been the core of biodiversity among flora and fauna in the region for generations (Edwards, 2007). Coffee crops were imported from places such Vietnam and Colombia. This allowed coffee producers to flood the world market. Coffee quickly became one of the most important commodities in global transactions. The coffee trade changed the way foreign currency was valued in Brazil and other countries. As a result, more rain forests were cleared and more biodiversity in Brazil was lost. Coffee crops and non-native species brought disease into the rain forests and those flora and fauna diseases spread across the continent (Flood, 2009).
Multi-Generation Impacts
Currently, little has been done to assist the people of Brazil in recovering from the destructive impact of colonialization, commodification, and industrialization. Brazil’s response to the crisis caused by coffee plantation has been inadequate to remedy the impoverished rain forest and population. In Brazil, the coffee industry is still dominated by large corporations. There are very few small-scale subsistence farmers in Brazil. The traditional crop growing systems that existed in the rain forests as well as simple gardens have not recovered. Technology continues to be adapted in order to support high-yield coffee crop cultivation (Montagnini, Francesconi, and Rossi, 2011). The result is small crops become diseased and small farmers suffer crop losses. Small enterprises cannot sustain themselves in a market that is subject to drastic price fluctuation and international competition. Recent studies reveal that Brazil based coffee plantations continue to have a devastating effect on the poor and their children there. As coffee crops continue to make millionaires abroad, more Brazilian children are sent to work on the plantations instead of attending school. That means that the negative impact of coffee production in Brazil is guaranteed for generations to come (Cleland, 2009).
Conclusion
The rapid spread of the coffee industry into Brazil as a result of globalization and international trade and has caused native farmers financial setbacks and in many cases put them out of business. The exploitation of the rain forest has not only devastated the country’s flora, fauna, and biodiversity, it has also introduced diseases and pests, which destroy native crops. The poor population of Brazil has become dependent on coffee crops as a basis for the economy. The Brazilian government has done nothing to curtail the introduction of technology and unsustainable growing practices. The outlook in Brazil is bleak, as the emphasis there tends to be on higher yields, which eventually cannot be sustained. The current coffee plantation system in Brazil negatively impacts the lives of small farmers and their families. The current organization of coffee crops in Brazil is based in colonial era inequalities. In order for true Fair Trade polices to be implemented the local and national governments in Brazil must take action.
Bibliography
Cleland, D. (2009). The impacts of coffee production on local producers. California Polytechnic State University. http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=socssp
Edwards, T. L. (2007). Brazil: A global studies handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. https://www.questia.com/library/120085937/brazil-a-global-studies-handbook
Flood, J. (2009). Coffee wilt disease. Wallingford, UK: CABI. http://www.cabi.org/cabebooks/ebook/20103151287
Montagnini, F., Francesconi, W., & Rossi, E. (2011). Agroforestry as a tool for landscape restoration. New York: Nova Science Publishers. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227070571_Agroforestry_as_a_Tool_for_Restoring_Forest_Landscapes Pendergrast, M. (2010). Uncommon grounds: The history of coffee and how it transformed our world. New York: Basic Books. https://books.google.com/books/about/Uncommon_Grounds.html?id=TUo981rkwkoC
