照片提供Sean Hawkey.
Small-scale farmers around the world are grappling with a挑战数量- 挥发性价格，缺乏资金的机会，气候变化的影响，土地抢夺 - 比下一个更可怕。其中，衰老的农民的问题似乎是一个古朴的问题，但这一点都很重要，尤其是如果您是76亿人喜欢吃饭的人之一。
有效的生产方法改变了大豆或小麦等产品的农业面貌，从而使农民更少产生更多的数量。然而，世界上大多数食物都是由小型家庭农民生产的84％的人耕种少于五英亩。
As these small-scale family farmers age, many are finding that their children have no desire to take over the farm. Mechanization in coffee has been difficult, especially at the farm level, meaning that manual labor is required for high-quality coffee. Most young people in these communities see farming as a high-risk, low-status vocation, and they’re not wrong.
When the price is adjusted for inflation, coffee farmers earn每磅比40年前少。The current price forcoffee futures is US$1.21- 低于公平贸易最低价格的20美分，一年中可能会波动超过70％。农民一年四季都很少赚取养家糊口所需的东西，更不用说改善业务了。这项工作很艰难，边缘不存在，而且很少有局势。
这些事实正在推动农村青年迁移到城市中心，以寻求更多的机会，使父母留在农场。目前，非洲咖啡农的平均年龄为60岁，according to the International Coffee Organization。In Colombia,是56(for reference, the农民的平均年龄在美国为58.3）。
全球市场正在唤醒这样一个事实，即很少有年轻人看到农业的未来，这威胁了全球粮食安全。
为了应对这种威胁，有许多以行业为主导的举措，包括散落的努力，使农业更具吸引力，向年轻人扩大教育机会，提高农场盈利能力，并在农村社区投资更多。这些举措中很少有人关注原始原因，这是有价值产品的合理价格。
卡洛斯·雷诺索（Carlos Reynoso）是Manos Campesinas, a位于危地马拉的Quetzaltenango的公平贸易认证合作社。作为一个经理雷诺索（Reynoso）的小型合作社生产一些世界上最好的咖啡，看到了衰老的农民和向外移民的影响。
雷诺索（Reynoso）以相关的术语将问题提出来。每个父母都希望为孩子们提供最好的选择，而咖啡农也没有什么不同。解决世代交换问题的任何努力都需要包括咖啡来设计解决方案的父母，孩子，农民和合作经理。
Kyle Freund（KF）：您如何看待Manos Campesinas发行的世代过渡问题？
卡洛斯·雷诺索（Carlos Reynoso）(CR):我们必须认识到许多农民正在变老。在大多数农业工作中，包括咖啡在内 - 尤西的参与也很低，收入也很低，除了身体上的苛刻态度外。从农民的角度来看，它不会为您投入的东西带来太多收入。
So there’s this sentiment that ‘I’m going to work hard as a farmer because I want to make sure that my children can go to school and educate themselves and be involved in other activities that are not necessarily related to agriculture.’ They want something better for their children. That is a big part of the reality for farmers and why we see the decreased interest from young people.
From the perspective of the young people, this feeling is felt even more acutely given the current context with the threat of coffee rust, low prices, limited access to credit, and the effects of climate change. Production is very uncertain now.
KF: Stepping back from the issue, do you think that the departure of young people from farming is a sort of success indicator in the community? The fact that some children are aspiring to a different career?
CR：这是一个很好的观察。我认为，这是成功的指标，即咖啡使我们的农民成员能够产生收入，使他们能够派孩子在不同地区学习。正如您提到的，我们认为这是一个具体的结果。在那里，孩子们可以看到其他机会，这是成功的。
关于子孙后代的选择，我们必须尊重这一点。我们应该占据的是教导那些有兴趣耕种的人，以实施良好的做法以及如何使农场获利。这是每个合作社和协会面临的挑战。
从行业和消费者的角度来看，他们将面临一场艰苦的战斗，除非有意愿向农民支付公平的代价。我认为，如果农民得到了很好的报酬，我们将有一个非常不同的现实，年轻人会非常感兴趣。也许您甚至会看到年轻人离开城市并搬到农村地区。
KF: Is this situation unique to coffee or Guatemala?
cr: In global terms, I don’t think it’s unique to coffee, it’s everywhere in the world. This is the general thinking. We’ve talked with other Fairtrade organizations in other countries and many of them are facing the same issues.
KF：Manos Campesinas现在在做什么？
CR：首先，我们希望以大量的责任和关心处理这个问题，将其视为一个挑战，而不是很大的困难。作为一个组织，我们正在研究如何证明耕作是可能和有利可图的。我们正在为年轻人设计一个试点项目，展示了他们如何通过更好的做法和多样化的农作物来改善父母的农场。显然，这必须是一个自然的选择，从每个人都可以自由决定将来想要什么的前提开始。
The other important part of the chain is the market, and that is where Fairtrade plays an important role. There is a commitment from buyers to pay at least a minimum price, and it encourages buyers and producers to share purchase plans ensuring that the coffee produced has a home—it includes a premium for investment in the community. If we don’t have that kind of relationship, the scenario will continue to be quite complex.
KF: Do you see some of them becoming interested in roles further down the supply chain, like coffee graders or support staff for the cooperative?
CR：In the case of coffee production and the supply chain, it will be necessary to help young people expand their view of what’s possible—for example, the agronomists are putting their knowledge into practice supporting farmers with better methods, but also aspects of coffee processing, cupping, and selection as well as roasting, coffee shops, etc.
KF：即使年轻人想成为农民，是否仍然存在将土地分配的问题吗？他们会有足够的供他们谋生的土地吗？
CR：是的，这也是一个问题。许多农民已经有小包裹。例如，看看有五英亩和五个或六个孩子的农民。您有这样的问题，即将土地分割，每个孩子几乎一无所有。这就是为什么我们必须支持人们建立其他能力的原因，以便他们可以追求自己的利益，无论是否在农业中。
That’s why we think any effort has to focus on those young people with an interest in farming, and then we equip them with better technology, better planning, and better inputs. This is more or less how we can address generational change and youth inclusion.
-
公平贸易国际系统和CLAC网络（代表拉丁美洲公平贸易农民和加勒比海工人的生产者网络）与整个地区的合作社和协会合作，以确保为年轻人提供体面的机会。对于这些组织中的许多组织，支持年轻人与他们面对剥削性童工的努力并驾齐驱。
For more information on Fairtrade’s efforts to address youth inclusion and child labor,点击这里。
