Fair Trade Organic Coffee

Fair Trade Described

Fair trade organic coffee is not a specific type of coffee. The concept of Fair Trade certification deals with a combination of business practices and farming techniques. Products that are Fair Trade certified are produced and brought to market using a specific production and marketing model designed to benefit farm owners, workers, and consumers around the world.

The idea behind Fair Trade certification attempts to make it viable for farm owners and workers to earn a living and rewards them for following responsible and sustainable farming practices. Fair trade goes beyond looking at how farms operate, also focusing on making sure farmers have the business skills they need to compete effectively in the marketplace. Visit FairTrade.net for a complete listing of Fair Trade standards.

Fair Trade Farming Practices

Farms that comply with the standards of Fair Trade commit to providing living wages and safe working conditions for employees, and they do not condone or participate in forced child labor. Additionally, they emphasize sustainable farming practices, avoiding the use of dangerous chemicals and growth hormones.

Benefits to Farmers

The coffee industry in Central and South America has long been characterized by oppressive working conditions, in which big businesses has the power and growers were expected to work for little to nothing. Thanks to Fair Trade practices and cooperatives, farmers in many third world countries and other nations around the world are able to earn living wages in exchange for their labor.

Fair Trade farmers receive guaranteed minimum prices for their products, with floor levels set higher for products that are certified organic. Fair Trade business practices focus, as much as possible, on eliminating middlemen to broker transactions, resulting in higher margins for farmers.

Why is Fair Trade Certification Important?

By purchasing organic coffee and other products that have earned Fair Trade certification, consumers are able to use their spending power to support the continued operation of small farms that adhere to the principles of Fair Trade farming. Purchases of these types of products can empower small farm owners, rewarding their efforts to treat the environment and their workers with well-deserved respect.

Fair Trade Product Availability

In the United States, Fair Trade certification is available for the following types of agricultural products:

• Chocolate
• Cocoa
• Coffee
• Fruit
• Herbs
• Rice
• Spices
• Sugar
• Tea

Learn More About Fair Trade Organic Coffee

If you're interested in learning about how your decision to purchase Fair Trade organic coffee can really make a difference, read Javatrekker: Dispatches from the World of Fair Trade Coffee by Dean Cycon, owner and founder of Deans Beans Coffee. You'll learn about the struggles coffee farmers have faced in ten different countries around the world, and how Fair Trade certification is making a positive impact on their businesses and their lives.

Where to Find Fair Trade Coffee

• A Greater Gift
• Café Altura
• Café Campesino
• Deans Beans
• Equal Exchange
• Grounds for Change
• Nectar of Life
• New Dream
• Organic Coffee Company

Socially Responsible Consumer Choices

When you look for Fair Trade certification when purchasing coffee, you can be confident that the workers who produced the coffee beans earned fair wages for their labor, working in conditions free from unnecessary occupational hazards or dangers.

Every time you select a Fair Trade product over others, you are voting with your dollars. Consumers who make responsible purchasing decisions can make a positive impact on the environment, as well as on the lives of coffee growers struggling to make a living all over the world.