What is fair trade coffee?

Fair trade coffee is grown, processed and sold straight to the consumer, without the middlemen that normally slow down the process. The primary ambition of a fair trade agreement is to ensure that the coffee producers (who often work on a small scale) get a fair bargain for the coffee they grow. Quite frequently, fair trade farmers are part of a cooperative that handles the coffee's marketing and distribution.

One reason why fair trade coffee is so popular with consumers is that when they buy it, they know that the coffee producers get paid a living wage that's appropriate to their local economy. For those that are concerned with wage issues and organized labor concerns, buying fair trade coffee is a logical step. Spending money on fair trade coffee and other products is a way to help ensure that farmers and producers actually see a portion of the sales proceeds.

The cooperatives that distribute and market the coffee invest some of their returns into the community. This helps the farmers afford medical care for themselves and their families, and it also provides money so that the children of those families can be educated.

Environmentally savvy people often buy fair trade coffee because the local farmers use organic growing methods to protect and nourish the coffee plants as they develop. The lack of chemicals in the growing process is thought to yield a more flavorful coffee bean, and it is more environmentally-friendly all around.

Fair trade coffee is usually sold ground, but there are fair trade beans available for purchase. Especially in the US, many grocers, coffee shops and churches have fair trade coffee for sale. This is usually seen as part of a commitment to the support of fair trade practices, environmental protection and the distribution of organically grown coffee.