October Is Fair Trade Month – Make Every Purchase Count
Along with being Breast Cancer Awareness month, October is Fair Trade Month. Fair trade might not be a perfect solution, but it’s a lot better than the current trade system that buries coffee farmers in debt, makes corporations rich and keeps coffee prices for the consumer too low (yeah, I said it…to be fair we need to be paying more than $3.99 for a giant plastic tub of coffee).
The basis of Fair Trade is that it guarantees the coffee drinker that a fair price was paid for their coffee, fair wages were paid to the coffee farmers/workers and that it was produced with sustainable methods. Often it leads to the building of hospitals, schools and other projects in poor coffee growing communities. Plus, it comes with earth friendly conditions.
The popularity of Fair Trade coffee is growing, but in 2007, TransFair USA, the independent, third-party certifier of Fair Trade Certified products in the United States, said that 3.1 billion pounds of coffee were imported into the country and only 66 million pounds was Fair Trade Certified. The numbers have gone up since then, but still the majority of coffee is not Fair Trade.
To help raise awareness of Fair Trade, this month we’re holding a contest where you can win More Than Fair Trade Certified coffee from Barista On Duty, read reviews of Fair Trade coffee, read articles that take a more in-depth look at Fair Trade and Daily Shot Of Coffee now has a page dedicated solely to listing the Fair Trade coffees that have been reviewed on Daily Shot Of Coffee.
I hope you join me this month is seeking out Fair Trade coffee. If you already have a favorite Fair Trade coffee, I would love to hear about it.
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Photo by angela7dreams.
Category: Coffee Information
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Mike Crimmins is the highly caffeinated blogger behind Daily Shot Of Coffee. Besides drinking way too much coffee, he's obsessed with the Yankees and getting dirty on his mountain bike.Subscribe
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Great article Mike. I already have a favorite fair trade coffee, but I’m possibly biased, so I’ll keep it to myself. But thanks for helping promote fair trade month.
LOL, sometimes it’s good to be biased. I think you have an excellent product for this month (or really any other one).
Mike, thank you for writing about an important topic. It’s important that coffee farmers are paid fairly, whether through direct trade, fair trade, or other means. I’m not too wrapped up in a Fair Trade label on coffee, but absolutely believe it’s an important conversation. Most people would be shocked what big low quality coffee corporations like Maxwell House pay – not fair at all. And sometimes there are really sweet stories of how Fair Trade cooperative money improves farmers’ lives.
I agree. It’s really a horrible system that puts coffee farmers further into debt for their hours and hours of hard work. We need more companies like your favorite, Starbucks that are willing to invest in Fair Trade.
What I like about fair trade products is that they usually come with a very interesting package design. They really stand out. That makes me pay something extra.
what goes around comes around.
fair trade is a big thing Mike.
good you’re highlighting it.
enjoy a great coffee today!
Hope you have a great coffee month!
Great article Mike! I agree wholeheartedly with the free trade principle, or direct trade if possible. I’m just finishing a nice bag of free trade organic Mexican beans(smooth & well-balanced with berry & some citrus flavors). Also I just bought a bag of direct trade beans from a local company http://www.goodearthcafes.com – a blend of medium roasted beans from Guatemala, Nicaragua & Brazil ….direct trade & rainforest alliance certified.
I’ve had some great Fair Trade Organic Mexican coffees. I’ll admit that I didn’t pay enough attention to that country’s coffee until recently.
I’ll have to check out that company. Let me know how that blend goes.
Actually I got that Mexican coffee with a money off coupon. But it was from a company that I had tried & been pleased with before. They’re Canadian, but I see they have a U.S. section on their website – http://www.vanhoutte.com …although the Mexican organic described-on the U.S. section-sounds like a very different coffee than what I had. But yeah I’ll be opening that Good Earth blend Sat. morning…better clean the grinder, etc.
I’ve had their K-cups before, but never any of their bags of coffee. I may have to try them next time my coffee supply runs low.