Fair Trade Coffee

Fri, May 15th 2009, 12:17

The Coffee Industry is dominated by a few large players and a myriad of middle-men. Farmers who actually grow the coffee see very little of the money you eventually pay for a cup: hence Fair Trade Coffee.


The Fair Trade concept evolved after World War II. Fair Trade believes that the producers of goods should be paid a fair price for their produce. In world markets, small-scale farmers are at a great disadvantage compared to large international organisations with resources and political influence at their disposal. Very often they receive less for their crop than the actual costs of production - forcing them into a cycle of poverty that is impossible to escape.

The Fair Trade movement began in the 1940s when church groups in the United States began selling handicrafts made by refugees after World War II. Since then the Fair Trade concept has embraced goods produced by small-scale producers in mostly third world countries. A Fair Trade certification is peace of mind for the consumer; it guarantees that the producer has been paid a mininum cost per pound for their produce. They also receive support with community development, improvement in health and education standards and environmental stewardship.

The labelling of Fair Trade products began in the 1980s. The first Fair Trade coffee brand available to consumers was the Max Havelaar label, named after a fictional character who fought for the rights of coffee pickers exploited on plantations in the Dutch colonies.

The Fair Trade labels now include everything from coffee, bananas, tea, chocolate, honey, sugar, orange juice, and flowers sold on international markets. To be labelled Fair Trade, goods need to meet strict environmental and labour standards.

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