More and more people care about the conditions of the people who produce the products they buy. This is a huge industry trend. Across the country, there are over 80 companies that have licensing agreements with TransFair to offer Fair Trade Certified coffee. Major roasters include Starbucks, Tully's, Peet's, Equal Exchange, Diedrich, and Green Mountain, serving over 7,000 retail locations, with volumes rising every day. It's an environmental issue.
Small farmers are the best stewards of the land.
When you support Fair Trade, you support the environment. Fair Trade farmers don't have the capital input to clear forests, buy chemical fertilizers and pesticides. They generally grow small plots of mixed-crop, shade grown coffee organically. Fair Trade brings small farmers into the boom.