Coffee Facts – Fair Trade Coffee
Fair Trade coffee is the first commodity to be set up with an independent monitor. This monitor makes sure the Fair Trade agreement is adhered to, supporting the small farmers growing coffee around the world. The Fair Trade agreement, whether it is for coffee, chocolate, or any other number of items, creates a fair partnership between consumers and the producers of item in question. You may have seen this label on other foods or hand made items at your local store. The Fair Trade movement is to ensure that small farmers and craftsmen get a fair price for their work… whether it is for a crafted item or for a harvest. In the case of Fair Trade coffee, it is the coffee farmers who get a boost from the agreement.
The Fair Trade coffee farmers are grouped into cooperatives around the world. The farmers receive a living wage (they are guaranteed a minimum of $1.26/pound no matter what the market is paying); credit at a fair price; and long lasting relationships with the buyers. Fair Trade payments are invested in education, health care, economic independence and environmental care. Fair Trade certified coffee is the first product to use this independent monitoring system. The system ensures that the coffee was produced under fair labor conditions for the workers. This is very important, as coffee production is very labor intensive work for all concerned.
Why is Fair Trade Certified Coffee so important? More and more people around the world are caring about how their products are produced. Is the product good for the earth? Are the workers treated well and paid sufficiently for their time? As more consumers learn of this trend, they are jumping on the bandwagon to purchase more Fair Trade products.
Over 100 companies have signed on to offer Fair Trade coffee. You may recognize some of their names: Starbucks, Peet’s, Equal Exchange, Tully’s, Green Mountain and Diedrich are but a few. These companies represent over 7,000 retail shops around the world.
The environment needs the support. Small farmers like the ones represented in the Fair Trade coffee farmers’ cooperatives take the best care of the land. Supporting Fair Trade means you are supporting the environment with your purchasing power. Fair Trade coffee farmers are too poor to clear cut the land or buy chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Their coffee is grown in small plots of mixed crops, and is grown organically.
Why can’t the farmers do this by themselves? You’d think with the popularity of gourmet coffee, they’d be doing just fine. The truth is the price of coffee beans is volatile. It rises and falls dramatically on a daily basis. The grower gets only a very small piece of the pie, while the consumer pays a high price at the stores. The grower then is kept in a cycle of poverty and debt, as the grower is often paid less than it costs him and his family to grow and harvest the coffee. Buying Fair Trade coffee will help farmers and their families all around the world to break out of this cycle and live a better life.
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Baronet Coffee Fair Trade Organic French Roast Dark Roast (140 g), 18-Count Coffee Pods (Pack of 3)
$19.41
In 1930 two brothers from Europe brought a wonderful old world coffee-making process to America. They soon discovered that their great tasting cup of coffee was the only âluxuryâ many ordinary people could afford in those grim days of the Great Depression. Understanding how important their coffee was to their customers, the brothers demanded that it live up to a higher standard. Now, …
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Coffee Time – Kaffeezeit – 24H x 16W – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys
$40.99
WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l…
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Coffee Time – Kaffeezeit – 18W x 12H – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys
$30.99
WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l…
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Coffeebean – Kaffebohne – 36W x 24H – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys
$51.99
WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l…
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Alaffia Shea Butter Body Cream Unscented — 4 oz
$9.86
With extra certified fair trade handcrafted shea butter and a triple antioxidant blend of Yirgacheffe coffee, rooibos and green tea, this unscented cream offers deep moisture and protection from free-radicals for even the most sensitive skin. Recommended for normal to extra dry skin – including sensitive. Fair Trade is more than paying fair wages and prices. It is also a commitment to communities …
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