Fair Trade Coffee

As coffee lovers, it's easy to get lost in the divine experience of enjoying our morning coffee. But do we ever think about where our coffee comes from? When we purchase coffee, we have a choice to support ethical and sustainable business practices. This ethos is largely captured by the concept of Fair Trade Coffee. It's a designation that matters for not only the coffee purchaser, but the coffee producers as well.

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Here at Best Quality Coffee, we’ve curated a list of the some of the best Fair Trade coffee products on the market. Our top picks is Lifeboost Coffee for its supremely clean and pure coffee flavor.

Fair Trade Coffee is a designation you’ve probably seen many times on the labels of high-end coffees. Read on to learn exactly what it is and why it matters.

What is Fair Trade Coffee?

Fair trade as a general concept is the idea that everyone along a supply chain of a given business is paid and treated fairly. Fair Trade Coffee in specific aims to improve the overall livelihoods and well-being of farmers and workers in developing countries by setting a price for their produce that’s enough for them to live on. It also aims to build long-term and sustainable relationships between farmers and other market participants.

Fair Trade coffee helps to ensure farmers receive a fair wage for their work. As you can imagine, this has a immeasurable impact on the local communities in which the coffee is grown.

Fair trade also means that coffee farmers are paid a set price for their coffee beans, regardless of market fluctuations, so they are more secure in their livelihoods. In many cases, Fair Trade also involves helping coffee farmers receive paid sick leave and medical care, something that unfortunately isn’t the default.

Why Does Fair Trade Matter?

It’s a sad but true fact that the coffee industry carries a reputation for exploiting human capital. While this can be said of any global industry, it’s specifically a concern in the coffee sector where small-scale farmers often come from developing countries and as a result, are left vulnerable to price volatility and natural disasters.

Things to Remember When Buying Fair Trade Coffee

Fair Trade Certified coffee only comprises about 5% of all coffee. Although coffee companies are becoming increasingly aware of the needs of coffee producers and the communities in which they live, a vast majority of coffee is not Fair Trade. Please note that just because a coffee isn’t certified as Fair Trade, it doesn’t mean that they’ve engaged in any unfair practices. In fact, many coffee companies source their coffee through all of the same principles of Fair trade coffee but merely didn’t have the resources to obtain the certification.