Organic Fair Trade Coffee

Why buy organic Fair Trade coffee?

People don't usually think about where their coffee actually comes from very often. It's just one of those things. Millions of people get up every single morning, going through the routines. It's kind of like priming a pump before it delivers.

Many of us don't deliver until we have primed ourselves. A part of that ritual is having one or two cups of coffee before trying to tackle the day ahead of us.

Organic Fair Trade Coffee is becoming the choice of many coffee drinkers over the last few years. Not satisfied to drink just any coffee, people all over the world are now drinking gourmet coffees to satisfy their coffee cravings.

It's not just about the coffee being gourmet either. As the world turns to green, so does the coffee market. Organic coffee ensures we are drinking from coffee beans that were grown without herbicides or pesticides used in the process. This means the coffee is not only better for us but also means that we are supporting the organic market not to pollute the land.

When you see Fair Trade Coffee at the coffee shops or market place, most individuals will assume that this is a brand like Maxwell House or Hills Brothers Coffee.

Fair Trade Coffee is more of a movement than a brand of coffee. It is something that actually needs our support and endorsement.

Next to oil, coffee is the second largest commodity that is traded on the earth. The price of coffee is determined by the traders on Wall Street and the other major trading centers throughout the world. Not many people talk about the high price of coffee when gas prices are soaring into the stratosphere.

Actually, the price of coffee has remained fairly stable when the coffee farmers have not been getting paid what they should be getting.

This is where the Organic Fair Trade coffee movement enters the picture.

Fair Trade wants us all to be better informed coffee consumers. As consumers, we should be more aware of the many coffee workers and farmers that work endless hours every single day but are exploited for their services.

Quite often these farmers get paid less for the coffee they grow than it costs them to break even. With this endless cycle, the coffee farmers are always living in poverty. The Fair Trade coffee movement works diligently with growers, to ensure the coffee farmers get a decent price for the harvest and make a real living.

When you see the label Organic Fair Trade Coffee on the coffee you are buying, this means it's certified. The coffee was produced under fair growing conditions and a decent price was paid for the product.

To be a Fair Trade certified importer of organic coffee, you must adhere to a few set international standards.

  1. The importer must agree to pay a minimum of $1.41 per pound.

  2. The importer must provide technical assistance to the coffee growers, such as switching over to sustainable, organic farming methods.

Approximately 60% of the coffee that is grown is by small coffee farm operations. Most of the coffee that is grown is in Africa, South America and other regions in countries such as Indonesia, Costa Rica, Honduras and many other smaller countries and regions. Many of these are developing countries that, until recently, not too many of us paid a lot of attention to. This is all changing now. The world cannot afford to leave these countries behind.

Essentially, all of the gourmet coffee that is organically grown that has the Fair Trade seal on it is something we should all be for. Sometimes it will cost a little bit more, but the coffee you are purchasing is a much better product for you.

There are strict guidelines for the farmers to follow to be certified organic growers. Farming without synthetic pesticides and other prohibited substances is required for up to 3 years before being able to sell the crop as organic.

The farmers have to use sustainable crop rotation methods that will not deplete the soil nutrients and prevents the land from erosion.

Organic Fair Trade coffee ensures that you are truly purchasing a coffee product that is 100% natural without any additives. It should be noted that 78% of Fair Trade coffee sold in America is organic.

Purchasing a coffee product that is Fair Trade without stating that is organic coffee only ensures that you are buying a Fair Trade certified coffee that has not been grown organically.