Michael Plant wrote:
> Scott /20/05
>
> > Michael Plant > wrote:
> >> Scott /19/05
> >>>
> >>> Free trade coffees and teas tend to be lowest common denominator types;
> >>> you aren't going to see high grade specialty materials made that way.
> >>
> >> I'm not disagreeing with you, but re your final observatipn above,why not?
> >
> > Because if the grower _does_ have something special, it's probably going
> > to be more profitable for him to sell it as such, rather than selling it
> > as free trade. And if it _is_ sold at the free trade price, and the broker
> > has any idea how good it is, _he_ will tend to sell it at a higher price.
> >
> > The only time this changes is if there are production quotas (cf the
> > "communicating vessels" of Bordeaux wine in which high grade wines are
> > sold as lesser types because an estate can only sell a certain amount at
> > a particular grade). Or if the local market is really, really flooded.
> > Or if someone somewhere along the chain is not checking for quality at
> > all.
>
> Sorry Scott,
>
> I misread. I had my mind on "fair trade," which is another thing. Disregard
> all my previous correspondence.
> Michael
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