What Is Fair Trade Coffee And Why Is It Important?

Chef Ali Gonzalez

Ali Gonzalez

Sustainable Culinary Solutions

Row off coffees

As a dedicated coffee lover, you surely drink coffee every day. Coffee allows you to sip on a delicious customized drink, and at the same time, it energizes you for a few hours. Like everyone else who drinks coffee, you get your daily dose in the morning right before work. This is to wake you up and get you started for the long day ahead of you. More than half of Americans drink coffee daily, as it turns out that 7 in 10 Americans drink coffee every week; 62% drink coffee every day.

Close up of hands of a barista make latte coffee art paint
Close-up of a barista painting in a latte.

Coffee is a tasty and caffeinated drink that comes from coffee beans that are brewed into your everyday beverage. As of today, many countries produce and farm coffee beans. A few of the main ones are Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam. These coffee beans are roasted seeds that come from a coffee cherry, which is grown from a fruit tree. You would think that workers in the coffee industry would have fair treatment, but sadly, this isn’t always the case.

It is important to consider how fair trade coffee is relevant today.

This is when a coffee brand meets certain standards to become certified in sustainability and provide fair working environments. Alongside steel, oil, and metal being in high demand, coffee is one of the most traded products in the world. With billions of cups of coffee consumed daily, it’s also one of the most popular beverages.

Who are the hard-working employees who are working endless hours to provide you with the best-tasting coffee? Farmers produce the majority of the everyday coffee that you drink. Unfortunately, they don’t always get paid the amount that they deserve. Being a farmer is a tough labor job with poor working environments. Fair trade coffee provides these workers with better pay, benefits, and opportunities. This allows the farmers to positively impact their local community. What does this mean for you? This will provide you with excellent high quality and environmentally sustainable coffee.

A coffee plant
A coffee plant

5 Unique and Unexpected Facts About Fair Trade Coffee

Every day coffee farmers struggle to support their families and don’t have affordable housing because they don’t get paid enough. They work extended long hours in the hot sun and get the coffee ready for consumers from all around the world to drink. Fairtrade means zero-tolerance of child labor, and the organization works to bring an end to such practices. Fair trade coffee has become a new concept to many coffee enthusiasts, and it has become increasingly important. Wouldn’t you want to support a fair trade coffee brand if it means providing farmers with a better work environment and tastier coffee? Here are a few compelling facts to get you thinking about fair-trade coffee:

  • Today there are 656 fair trade-certified coffee producers, of which 838,116 farmers are protected to receive fair pay.
  • Fairtrade farmers use 25% of their extra wages to improve production quality, which has won them 28 Great Taste Awards within the past three years. 
  • In 2022, coffee worldwide is estimated to make over 430 billion dollars, but the average coffee farmer (without fair trade) makes about a dollar or less a day.
  • The Fairtrade Climate Academy has set up training programs in Africa to teach coffee farmers about how to positively improve the climate and environment.
  • The Golden Cup competition is where coffee producers within 15 countries work to make the best quality coffee, which can give them a chance to meet possible buyers.

Exciting and Powerful Fair Trade Coffee Brands That You Can Support Everyday 

Many coffee brands have started or converted their business to fair trade to support their values. They strive to provide the best experience for their customers by providing the finest gourmet coffee. Fairtrade coffee brands aim to improve a better living environment for the climate and farmers. For example, Gourmesso.com is planting one tree for every order placed on their website. Most of these brands you may not recognize, but Starbucks, Seattle’s Best Coffee, and Trader Joe’s are a few popular businesses that you surely heard of. Take a look at the list below to check out a few more fair trade brands that you can get your next cup of coffee from:

  • Ethical Bean Coffee
  • Sure House Coffee Roasting Co.
  • Kaladi Coffee Roasters 
  • Gourmesso 
  • Brooklyn Roasting 
  • Cafe Altura
  • Highground

How Does This Benefit You? How Can You Support Fair Trade Coffee?

There is no doubt that coffee is one of America’s most treasured refreshments. You can support farmers and the environment by purchasing coffee from fair trade brands. Fairtrade provides consumers with an opportunity to connect with the people who grow the produce they enjoy and need. Not only will you be reshaping the world, but you will be consuming top premier coffee grown from the best beans. In 2015, more than half (55%) of fair trade bananas sold were organic, as were 59% of all fair trade coffee beans. By raising awareness, you can increase the number of brands that switch over to fair-trade coffee. Fairtrade provides you with the equal opportunity to shop and buy sustainable products at a fair price. Why wait? You can start taking action today by recognizing the admirable qualities that come along with sustainability. Be good, feel good.

Fair trade coffee beans
Close up of roasted, fair trade coffee beans.

Interested in learning more about how you can contribute to fair trade and sustainability? You can get started TODAY by setting up a consultation call with Sustainable Culinary Solutions. All you have to do is tap this link to fill out a quick and easy form. You don’t have to struggle if you don’t know where to begin, together I can start your journey on:

  • Wellness 
  • Sustainability 
  • Food Ethics

Sustainability is the new future – Do you want to make a difference in the environment and food industry? Do you have a company that aims for excellence? This is the time when you can add quality efficiency to all your goals. I look forward to hearing from you!

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