Fairtrade and Why It Works
By: Olivia Miller
Tags: Coffee Culture, Fair Trade, Fair Trade Coffee, Coffee, Coffee Farms

Do You Like Coffee?

If you are part of the one billion coffee drinkers in the world, I’d bet you do.

You may find it surprising that a lot of coffee consumers have little to no idea where or how their coffee is made.

Ask yourself this question: do you?

Don’t worry — I’m here to share some interesting information about that steaming cup of Joe that you just can’t get enough of.

Here’s the Good News:

If you get your coffee from Starbucks, you’re already part of the movement! They are one of the biggest buyers of Fairtrade coffee in the world.

You can also find Fairtrade coffee at Amazon, Costco, and Whole Foods. This is just a short list of retailers that are getting behind the Fairtrade organization.

Fairtrade coffee is right at your fingertips, and I bet you didn’t even know it.

You’ll be shocked how often you’ll spot the Fair Trade label now that you know what to look for!

So What Does This Mean For You?

Well — it means that by buying your coffee from these corporations, you are helping to make a difference in the lives of coffee farmers around the globe while showing consumers that social justice is important to you.

You might be asking yourself, what is Fairtrade actually?

For starters, Fairtrade coffee doesn’t have the word fair in it by accident. It truly is a fair and ethical way to buy and distribute coffee.

Not only has Fairtrade coffee transport helped put a stop to the horrific cruelty of child labor, but it has also worked to encourage men and women alike to become business tycoons. Fairtrade standard focuses on women receiving the same opportunities as men.

Now, is this a concept you can get behind?

How Fairtrade Began

Shortly after 1988, the Dutch introduced Fairtrade coffee.

Many people had the misconception that although more ethical, Fairtrade coffee wouldn’t be as high-quality of a product as direct trade. As notable coffee shops and retailers jumped on the Fairtrade train along with coffee consumers, this notion was quickly debunked.

Before Fairtrade, coffee Farmers were suffering greatly and were not receiving a FAIR price for their coffee or labor.

Fairtradeamerica.org wrote a wonderful piece called Wake up: Six Reasons to Choose Fairtrade coffee — Fairtrade America. As I read the blog, I learned:

“One study found that two-thirds of coffee farmers in Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico experience three to eight ‘thin months’ of extreme food scarcity from when their earnings run out to the beginning of the next harvest season.”

This meant that cold weather brought next to no income for many coffee farmers and their families.

Fairtrade was started to ensure liveable wages and ethical practices for coffee farmers. Without fair standards and salary, these farmers couldn’t possibly have survived through winter.

The Fairtrade Minimum Price Act

One of the first changes implemented was The Fairtrade Minimum Price Act. This was put into place to drive focus on paying its farmers a liveable wage.

This ensured that workers were guaranteed a minimum of $1.40 per pound of coffee. If selling organic coffee, the number jumped up to $1.70 per pound.

This was 65% more than average market pricing would offer.

The hard work of these tireless farmers offers great quality coffee to coffee houses around the world. The Minimum Price Act has helped reduce stress and poverty among many farmers, giving them a much better quality of life.

In the blog: 16 Fairtrade Coffee Brands Worth Waking Up For from the website https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-coffee-brands,

“When we choose to buy Fair Trade, we are casting a vote for the ethical treatments of the laborers around the world who are responsible for our daily coffee fix.”

By buying Fairtrade coffee, you are STILL making this happen!

Isn’t that a great feeling?