Why You Need To Support Fair Trade Coffee More Than Ever

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The consumption of coffee is rising in the US as it is gaining popularity. We consume a lot of coffee. Some of us cannot even make it through a day without a few cups of coffee. In fact Americans are responsible for one fifth of the world's coffee consumption. So we are the main economic supporter of the coffee industry.

Most Americans would have little idea how the coffee we drink is produced, harvested and shipped to us. We are just thankful that coffee is readily available over the counter whenever we want it.

The Fair Trade coffee movement aims to change all that. As better informed consumers, we are now told of the exploits of some coffee importers. We now realized that many of these coffee workers or farmers who toil tirelessly in the fields are not getting a fair price for their produce.

These farmers are often are getting paid less for their coffee than it cost them to produce and maintain their coffee farms. This will mean that these farmers and their families will never be able to break out of poverty and debt. The Fair Trade coffee movement will make certain that most coffee farmers can get a decent price for their harvest and make a living off it.

Coffee prices can be volatile and when the prices fell very low, many farmers will not be able to support their families and farm lands. Thus the Fair Trade coffee movement is needed more than ever by these farmers. When coffee prices fall, it does not mean that the average consumer will ever enjoy cheaper coffee. Instead, the prices remain just as high. This means that coffee companies are making more profits. However it will mean poverty and hunger for many of these coffee farmers.

The Fair Trade Certified coffee is being introduced in the US to ensure that the coffee was produced under fair labor conditions and a reasonable price was paid for the coffee. This money paid will go into helping the health care, education, ecological stewardship, and financial independence. It will also provide the much needed financing and credit, technological assistance in shifting to better methods of farming and other research purposes.

Help to make all these possible by buying coffee only from Fair Trade Certified coffee companies. This can not only help ensure the quality of coffee and constant supply but also let you sleep better when you know no one is starving so that you can have your cup of coffee.

For more information on coffee, coffee grinders and Fair Trade coffee , please visit Coffee Drinking Tips and Reviews

Fair Trade coffee Coffee Drinking Tips and Reviews

Why You Should Buy Fair Trade Coffee

And many of us think nothing of spending four or five dollars at Starbucks for a gourmet espresso, latte or cappuccino. Here in the West we are massive consumers of coffee.

Most of these farmers are paid less for the coffee beans they grow that it costs for them to produce and pick them. What few of us think about as we sip our favorite brew is that coffee is grown by small farmers in developing countries.

In other words, for every gourmet coffee you and I enjoy, the grower of the beans used is descending into a deeper and deeper cycle of poverty and desperation.

It was in recognition of this cycle that the certification process for fair trade coffee was introduced in 1998.

When you buy a pound of fair trade coffee, $1.26 goes directly back to the coffee growers who grew it.

It doesn't go directly into the hands of an individual grower, but to the cooperative to which he or she belongs. Part of the deal with fair trade coffee is that farmers are required to band together in cooperatives. The money then goes to the cooperative and is shared among all the farmers.

The issue of farmers having to join a cooperative to benefit from fair trade is a complex one, with advantages and disadvantages.

However, the big benefit is that when $1.26 goes to the cooperative, and then to the farmer...they are receiving about the double what they would get outside of the fair trade coffee system.

In other words, when you or I buy fair trade coffee, we are providing the grower with twice the income he or she would normally receive.

Over 100 million pounds of fair trade coffee have now been sold in the U.S. alone. Better still, the numbers are growing fast.

Starbucks now offers fair trade coffees and recently Wal-Mart announced that it would start offering fair trade coffee through its Sam's Club outlets.

When Wal-Mart becomes a buyer, you can be sure that the impact on small coffee farmers in Central and South America, East Africa and the Far East will be substantial.

But when you pay that little extra, you'll be making a real difference to the lives of coffee farmers and their families and communities. Yes, it will cost you a little more to buy fair trade coffee.

coffee facts fair trade coffee

In the case of Fair Trade coffee, it is the coffee farmers who get a boost from the agreement. The Fair Trade agreement, whether it is for a crafted item or for a harvest. This monitor makes sure the Fair Trade agreement is adhered to, supporting the small farmers growing coffee around the world. Fair Trade coffee is the first commodity to be set up with an independent monitor. This is very important, as coffee production is very labor intensive work for all concerned. The system ensures that the coffee was produced under fair labor conditions for the workers. Fair Trade certified coffee is the first product to use this independent monitoring system. Fair Trade payments are invested in education, health care, economic independence and environmental care. The farmers receive a living wage (they are guaranteed a minimum of $1.26/pound no matter what the market is paying); credit at a fair price; and long lasting relationships with the buyers. The Fair Trade coffee farmers are grouped into cooperatives around the world. As more consumers learn of this trend, they are jumping on the bandwagon to purchase more Fair Trade products. Are the workers treated well and paid sufficiently for their time? Is the product good for the earth? More and more people around the world are caring about how their products are produced. Why is Fair Trade Certified Coffee so important? Over 100 companies have signed on to offer Fair Trade coffee. You may recognize some of their names: Starbucks, Peet’s, Equal Exchange, Tully’s, Green Mountain and Diedrich are but a few. These companies represent over 7,000 retail shops around the world. The environment needs the support. Small farmers like the ones represented in the Fair Trade coffee farmers’ cooperatives take the best care of the land. Supporting Fair Trade means you are supporting the environment with your purchasing power. Fair Trade coffee farmers are too poor to clear cut the land or buy chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Their coffee is grown in small plots of mixed crops, and is grown organically. Buying Fair Trade coffee will help farmers and their families all around the world to break out of this cycle and live a better life. The grower then is kept in a cycle of poverty and debt, as the grower is often paid less than it costs him and his family to grow and harvest the coffee. The grower gets only a very small piece of the pie, while the consumer pays a high price at the stores. It rises and falls dramatically on a daily basis. The truth is the price of coffee beans is volatile. You’d think with the popularity of gourmet coffee, they’d be doing just fine. Why can’t the farmers do this by themselves?

The Fair Trade movement is to ensure that small farmers and craftsmen get a fair price for their work… whether it is for coffee, chocolate, or any other number of You may have seen this label on other foods or hand made items at your local store. The Fair Trade agreement, whether it is for coffee, chocolate, or any other number of items, creates a fair partnership between consumers and the producers of item in question. You may have seen this label on other foods or hand made items at your local store. The Fair Trade agreement, whether it is for coffee, chocolate, or any other number of items, creates a fair partnership between consumers and the producers of item in question. You may have seen this label on other foods or hand made items at your local store. The Fair Trade agreement, whether it is for coffee, chocolate, or any other number of items, creates a fair partnership between consumers and the producers of item in question. This monitor makes sure the Fair Trade agreement is adhered to, supporting the small farmers growing coffee around the world. Fair Trade coffee is the first commodity to be set up with an independent monitor.This is very important, as coffee production is very labor intensive work for all concerned. The system ensures that the coffee was produced under fair labor conditions for the workers. Fair Trade certified coffee is the first product to use this independent monitoring system. Fair Trade payments are invested in education, health care, economic independence and environmental care. The farmers receive a living wage (they are guaranteed a minimum of $1.26/pound no matter what the market is paying); credit at a fair price; and long lasting relationships with the buyers. The Fair Trade coffee farmers are grouped into cooperatives around the world.As more consumers learn of this trend, they are jumping on the bandwagon to purchase more Fair Trade products. Are the workers treated well and paid sufficiently for their time? Is the product good for the earth? More and more people around the world are caring about how their products are produced. Why is Fair Trade Certified Coffee so important?Buying Fair Trade coffee will help farmers and their families all around the world to break out of this cycle and live a better life. The grower then is kept in a cycle of poverty and debt, as the grower is often paid less than it costs him and his family to grow and harvest the coffee. The grower gets only a very small piece of the pie, while the consumer pays a high price at the stores. It rises and falls dramatically on a daily basis. The truth is the price of coffee beans is volatile. You’d think with the popularity of gourmet coffee, they’d be doing just fine. Why can’t the farmers do this by themselves?

february is specialty coffee month

DATELINE: BOSTON; BROOKLINE; JAMAICA PLAIN; NEWTON CENTRE; SOMERVILLE AND WEST ROXBURY, MA… But, what many don’t realize is that they are just as particular about their coffee – where it comes from, how it’s roasted and how it tastes. Licks, the Kosher-certified scoop shop with seven stores in and around Boston, is known for their high quality, homemade (and sometimes outrageously flavored) ice cream. J.P. Licks’ passion for coffee and commitment to coffee growers is highlighted through their limited edition offering of Fair Trade Organic (FTO) Nicaragua coffee, which comes from Promotora de Desarollo Cooperativo de las Segovias (PRODECOOP), based in the Segovia region of Northern Nicaragua and boasting of 40 cooperatives. With February being “Specialty Coffee Monthâ€?, J.P. PRODECOOP was established in 1993 to provide assistance to its members’ families in the sustainable production and the marketing of their coffee. Their revenues from fair trade sales support many social and quality control programs including: primary and secondary school scholarships and books; a revolving social fund that assists with disaster relief, healthcare and homebuilding; an organic production program that has boosted their certified organic coffee production significantly; improved processing equipment and the creation of a quality control center to maintain their high standards. When it comes to Fair Trade coffee, J.P. Licks insists upon several factors before partnering with a grower: fair price; environmental sustainability; fair labor conditions; direct trade; community development and organic cultivation. “Where our coffee comes from and how it is obtained is just as important to us as how our coffee tastes. We take pride in being ‘fair’…fair with our employees, fair with our customers, and fair with the people who grow the coffee we roast,” says the enigmatic founder of J.P. Licks, Vince Petryk. To further ensure high quality and flavor consistency in every cup of coffee, J.P. Licks insists on roasting their beans at their Jamaica Plain store and has been doing so since 1999. FTO Nicaragua is a medium roast coffee…not too dark, not too light, but just right. Customers who enjoy a great cup of J.P. Licks coffee may also purchase their favorite blend of fresh roasted coffee beans. With coffee bean sales accounting for more than 25 percent of their business, J.P. Licks continues to meet considerable consumer demand for the best brewing beans in Boston. J.P. Licks can be found at Coolidge Corner, Davis Square, Mission Hill, Newbury Street, Newton Centre, West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. Visit www.jplicks.com to check their store hours. Best of Boston and Beyond For more than 25 years, J.P. Licks has been serving homemade ice cream and other specialties in their seven Kosher-certified shops in and around Boston. Locally owned and operated, J.P. Licks has won many awards over the years for their intensely-flavored homemade ice cream and frozen yogurt. Most recently, J.P. Licks was named “Best of Boston” by Boston Magazine and also made WBZ’s “A-List” for the second year in a row. Known for their high quality, scrumptious treats and their knack for “treating people right”, J.P. Licks was named Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s “Small Business of the Year”. In addition to their frozen creations, J.P. Licks has taken it upon themselves to roast their own fair trade and organic coffee beans on-site at their Jamaica Plain store, which ensures the best and the freshest, full-bodied cup of coffee around. Decadent hand-packed ice cream cakes as well as breakfast & ice cream sundae catering are also available. Visit the website at www.jplicks.com for more information.

DATELINE: BOSTON; BROOKLINE; JAMAICA PLAIN; NEWTON CENTRE; SOMERVILLE AND WEST ROXBURY, MA…But, what many don’t realize is that they are just as particular about their coffee – where it comes from, how it’s roasted and how it tastes. Licks, the Kosher-certified scoop shop with seven stores in and around Boston, is known for their high quality, homemade (and sometimes outrageously flavored) ice cream. J.P.Licks’ passion for coffee and commitment to coffee growers is highlighted through their limited edition offering of Fair Trade Organic (FTO) Nicaragua coffee, which comes from Promotora de Desarollo Cooperativo de las Segovias (PRODECOOP), based in the Segovia region of Northern Nicaragua and boasting of 40 cooperatives. With February being “Specialty Coffee Month�, J.P.

coffee with a conscience why buy fair trade coffee

Coffee is second only to oil as the most traded commodity in the world, and the United States is its largest consumer. While the average cost for a pound of coffee ranges from $3.00 to almost $40.00, the average third world coffee farmer receives only 25 to 50 cents. Though a good yield can garner close to $10,000 a year for the average farmer, by the time that same yield hits the cup in the US, it is worth more than three-quarters of a million dollars.

Before harvested coffee beans make it to the US, they are bought and sold by middlemen, who set the per pound price paid to disadvantaged farmers. Though there have been initiatives to curb the middleman’s influence, there hasn’t necessarily been a way to side-step them completely, until now.

Fair trade organizations, such as Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) and FLO-CERT, provide strict guidelines that follow coffee beans from plant to finished product. When a product is designated Fair Trade Certified(TM), it means it has been produced for a fair price, under safe and healthy conditions, and in accordance with direct trade standards that give the farmer more control and allow them to compete globally. Fair trade organizations also work with farmers to promote community development programs and environmentally sustaining farming practices.

More consumers are switching to Fair Trade coffee.

As awareness and availability increase, more people are making the decision to purchase Fair Trade Certified products. What started as a grass roots effort to help struggling farmers in third world countries has grown to a world-wide movement to ensure coffee producers are able to sustain their families, communities and their harvest.

Fair Trade Certified coffee is growing in popularity and can now be bought in most supermarkets, from wholesale suppliers or through online coffee retailers. It is sold as ground coffee, coffee beans, coffee pods or even instant coffee. Major coffee shops and restaurants are beginning to offer Fair Trade Certified coffees side-by-side or as an alternative to regularly produced coffees.

Does Fair Trade coffee cost more?

While there is a slight variance in pricing when compared with mass-produced products, Fair Trade Certified coffee is priced competitively with other gourmet and specialty coffees, and any difference will decrease as Fair Trade coffee sales increase. Bypassing the middlemen allows Fair Trade Certified coffee prices to stay competitive while netting the farmer a bigger return.

How does purchasing Fair Trade benefit coffee farmers?

Under fair trade agreements, farmers receive a set minimum price for their product, unlike regular coffee growers whose income is generally far below market value. Fair Trade certification also helps farmers implement organic growing practices, better labor practices, and safer working conditions. Benefits reach the farmers through a labeling and audit system that tracks the coffee from harvest to packaging.

Can you taste a difference?

Fair Trade coffees don’t taste different because they are grown the same as any coffee, but under improved conditions. Many fair trade organizations are working with farmers to develop organic and shade grown coffees techniques which means coffees that are healthier for you and the environment.

How do you know if you’re buying Fair Trade Certified coffee?

To find Fair Trade coffee at your local store or via an online retailer, simply look for the Fair Trade Certified Mark on the package. By selecting products licensed to use the certification mark, you can be sure your purchase is making a positive difference by helping disadvantaged farmers get a better deal.

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More consumers are switching to Fair Trade coffee.



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Does Fair Trade coffee cost more?



How does purchasing Fair Trade benefit coffee farmers?



Can you taste a difference?



How do you know if you’re buying Fair Trade Certified coffee?



About CoffeeCow

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