Fair trade organic coffee concept assists small coffee farmers

 

 

Fair trade organic coffee practices help small coffee farmers to make a better living for themselves and their families. Fair trade organic coffee can include organic instant coffee, organic decaf coffee, and organic coffee beans.

Organic coffee is one of the many agricultural products involved in the worldwide fair trade movement. An article on the CBC News website describes fair trade as follows: “...There's a growing movement dedicated to making sure that producers in developing countries are paid a fair price for the goods we consume. Called fair trade, it's a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers who have been disadvantaged or marginalized by the traditional economic model.”

More money for the small grower
With fair trade practices in the coffee market, the CBC News article continues, “The vast majority of the coffee we buy comes from producers who are paid about 54 cents for a pound of beans – or about 11 cents for every dollar spent by the coffee-consuming public.

Under fair trade arrangements, less money goes to "middlemen" and more goes to the coffee grower. They receive about 28 cents for every dollar spent by the coffee-consuming public.”

The key is that the producer is paid a fair price, and some of the money also goes towards schools and other community infrastructure in the fair trade coffee growers area. This is important, as coffee is a critical source of revenue for the coffee-growing countries.

Certified fair trade organic coffee
To be sure you are getting genuine organic fair trade coffee, check on the package for a seal certifying the fact that it is fair trade. Such coffee is known as Certified fair trade organic coffee or Certified organic free trade coffee. In order to have the fair trade seal of certification on the coffee, a number of specific international standards have to be met.

Buying fair trade organic coffee can have a big impact because of the overall size of the coffee market – it is world’s second most valuable commodity – second only to oil.