Why Support Fair Trade?
It's a social justice issue
Fair Trade is about more than money for coffee: it's about respectful relationships that connect people-to-people through trade, and the power of an economy that prioritizes human beings over the bottom line. Fair Trade begins the work of repairing the inequity of world trade - one of the most powerful forces linking our lives - by creating a mutually beneficial trade of great coffee for fair prices, regardless of market fluctuations.
It's a movement
Historically, the coffee trade has impoverished farmers at the hands of rich trading companies. Fair Trade seeks to create a new kind of coffee trade where coffee drinkers live in harmony with coffee farmers, and repair the damage done by centuries of exploitative relationships driven by greed and the pursuit of personal profit. Fair Trade supports democratic farmer cooperatives, community self-determination, and a kind of globalization that connects coffee drinkers to coffee farmers, people-to-people.
It's about quality and respect
Small-scale family farmers are the producers of the world's best, most unique tasting coffees. Each coffee plant is carefully tended throughout the year, and each ripe cherry is picked by hand. Coffee farmers do an incredible amount of work to produce the best of the best, and Fair Trade recognizes their labor, the dignity of their work, and the necessity of economic relationships that support their families and communities.
We work closely with our partner cooperatives to improve the quality of their coffee. This collaboration benefits us as we strive to source great tasting coffee with distinctive flavor, and it benefits the cooperatives as they define the origin-specific flavor of their beans, and improve the quality and consistency of their coffee. Our respect for the quality of our partners' coffee and the value of their work is part of our commitment to a total quality that matches quality of life for farming families with quality in the cup and quality of environmental health.
It's an environmental issue
Our farmers grow small amounts of coffee on their family farms. They use traditional farming practices to conserve soil, protect biodiversity, and steward wildlife habitat. These environmentally sustainable farming practices take time and cost money. Fair Trade ensures that farmers are paid a price that enables them to make an investment in the environment, and encourages chemical-free agriculture by guaranteeing a premium for certified organic coffee.
It's a peace issue
Conflict is often the result of social stress caused by poverty and competition for scarce resources. Fair Trade seeks to address these root causes of conflict by enabling economic security and by encouraging the development of local cooperatives where communities come together with a shared purpose.
How does Fair Trade work?
Fair Trade Certification applies only to small-scale family farmers and their cooperatives. Fair Trade Certified coffee is bought directly from farmer-run cooperatives at a floor (minimum) price of $1.26 per pound, or $1.41 per pound for coffee that is certified organic. This price is paid by the buyer to the cooperative, which has, through it's own decision making, decided on how this price will be shared amongst the farmers and the cooperative. Typically farmers will keep a large percentage of this price, while the cooperative will reinvest a smaller percentage in community projects and business development.
Importantly, Fair Trade guarantees family farmers access to pre-harvest credit, which allows them to take small loans from the cooperative before the harvest season, so that they can sustain themselves between crop cycles and stay out of debt.
How does Fair Trade guarantee a living wage?
Fair Trade guarantees that farmers are paid a "fair" price for every pound of coffee. Because small-scale family farmers are self-employed, this fair price goes directly to the farmer and the cooperative. Fair Trade prices are based on ongoing research into the factors that influence cost of production and farmers needs. While the cost of production, harvest size, and cost of living vary significantly from country to country, Fair Trade prices are designed to guarantee that farmers are able to cover their cost of production, make a reasonable profit, and provide for their families.