Assessing Coffee Farmer Household Income (2017) is an in-depth study conducted by True Price and commissioned by Fairtrade International to understand how much Fairtrade-certified coffee farmers and their households actually earn. Developed jointly with Fairtrade and based on extensive primary data collection across seven coffee-producing countries, the study provides a robust methodology to measure total household income and assess whether farmers earn a living income, with direct relevance for Fairtrade strategy and pricing policies.
Key highlights from the study:
- Analyzes household income data from 465 Fairtrade coffee farmers in seven countries, combining on-farm, off-farm, and in-kind income sources.
- Finds large differences between countries: on average, around 50% of household income comes from coffee, with many farmers relying heavily on other crops or off-farm work.
- Shows that a significant share of coffee farmers do not earn a living income, particularly in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, even when Fairtrade-certified.
- Delivers a practical, scalable methodology that Fairtrade can use to inform Fairtrade Minimum Price (FMP) setting, premium investments, and future income monitoring.