5 Best Fair Trade Coffee in 2020
How sustainable is your cup of joe?
Do you love coffee but wonder if what you’re drinking is ethically sourced? Do you want a morning pick-me-up that lets you know you are helping farmers & protecting the environment? Well, you’re in the right place!
“The Fair Trade movement is growing as people realize that they can help alleviate poverty and protect the environment by choosing Fair Trade products” -Robert Alan Silverstein, social change activist/author.
First of all.. what is fair trade coffee?
Fairtrade coffee certification is like organic certification in that it lets you know the origin of what you’re purchasing. What sets fair trade coffee apart is that you can buy it knowing that the farmer who is providing the coffee is getting a fair price for it. Not only that but the workers are benefiting as well as the environment. Let’s break that down a bit.
Farmers/Workers
Coffee farms only get a small part of the retail price of their crop, and while there is fluctuation in the coffee market, farmers are protected through Fair Trade. Globally, coffee prices have not been this low in 13 years, but luckily for Fair Trade farmers, there is a minimum price guaranteed to them, allowing them to continue producing coffee while being able to support themselves. For the people working on these coffee farms, they receive fair wages & work in a safe work environment. Forced child labor is completely prohibited!
Environment
There are many benefits environmentally on fair trade farms because they are held to high standards that non-fair trade farms are not. When you are buying fair trade coffee, you are buying into an industry that ensures sustainability and efficiency. This means that water is used well rather than being polluted, there is no deforestation, & harmful pesticides, as well as GMO’s, are prohibited.
Why you should buy fair trade coffee
To sum up what we have already talked about, buying fair trade coffee is environmentally responsible. It’s choosing to put your money into an industry that values the everyday coffee farmer. It’s caring that what people work hard for, they deserve a fair living wage in return. It’s trusting that your morning cup of joe is leaving an impact on communities and also the environment! But ethics aside, fair trade coffee tastes better & is better for you! As there has been an increase in demand for coffee, different methods for mass-producing have increased and thus led to not very yummy coffee. If you want to get your bang for your buck, you might as well spend the extra money buying coffee that is actually going to taste good.
Fair Trade Coffee Companies
1. Cafedirect
Alright, I’m going to rave on this brand for a second because they are worthy of all the praise! Cafedirect not only has won over 30 Great Taste Awards but they also re-invest ⅓ of their profits back into their communities and producers (are you kidding me? AMAZING.) They are based out of London, UK but you can buy their product online!
2. Higher Ground Roasters
Higher Ground Roasters is a coffee company based out of Leeds, AL. They are not only dedicated to delicious coffee but also supporting the preservation of wildlife. They have built relationships with non-profit organizations such as The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, The Black Warrior Riverkeepers, & the Cahaba River Society.
3. Stumptown Roasters
Okay, this one actually feels very close to home because I’ve been to one of their coffee shops in Portland, but to learn the ethics behind their brand is the cherry on top! Stumptown Roasters is a brand dedicated to being transparent about their sourcing practices as well as their good relationships with producers. If you take a look at their website, they lay it all on the line in their “FAQ” section, and hold nothing back! Take a quick look at https://www.stumptowncoffee.com/pages/faq and you’ll see what I mean.
4. Conscious Coffees
Conscious Coffees is a brand based out of Boulder, CO (and boy are their mugs trendy). Hipster mugs aside, this brand is fair trade, organic, and is a certified B corporation! This means (according to www.bcoorporatioon.net), they are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. What really sets this brand apart is that they are committed to informing buyers about what kind of impacts the coffee industry has socially, environmentally, and economically. They give brewing tips on their site as well as very in-depth descriptions of their coffee. But not only that, they do cute little coffee cuppings at their store locations! A brand definitely dedicated to caring not only for its growers but their consumers as well.
5. Birds and Beans Coffee
Another B certified brand! And not only that but they are organic, fair trade, & bird-friendly (we love a brand who loves the birds). If you’re wondering, bird-friendly coffee means that their coffee was planted under a canopy of trees. These trees provide food, shelter, & homes for migrating birds & local birds.
