Fairtrade coffee

What is Fairtrade coffee and what are the social, environmental and economic benefits?

Never trust anyone that doesn’t drink coffee……

Coffee is an essential start to many people’s day. In the UK alone, consumers spend over £6.2 billion per year in the 18,000 coffee outlets found across Britain. So it is fair to say that coffee is a booming industry.

Did you know?

125 million people worldwide depend on coffee to earn a living.

25 million smallholder farms produce 80% of the world’s coffee, but many of those farmers fail to make a reliable living.

The coffee supply chain is complex as the beans pass from growers, traders, processors, exporters, roasters, retailers and finally to the consumer. Many of the farmers have little idea where their coffee goes and indeed how lucrative it can be.

What is Fairtrade coffee?

The Fairtrade foundation works with people who farm bananas, chocolate, gold, cotton and of course coffee. Fairtrade is about getting better prices, better working conditions and fair terms for work for people working in the coffee trade. Products with the Fairtrade logo means that the coffee has been produced by small scale farmer organizations or plantations that meet Fairtrade social, economic and environmental standards. This includes the protection of workers rights and the environment.

What are the social benefits?

The Fair-trade foundation gives the farmers a sense of control over their future and helps their voice be heard.

Fairtrade empowers communities and helps them to organise themselves into cooperatives which enables them to negotiate better positions within the supply chain.

Fairtrade helps to develop gender equality.

Workers employed on Fairtrade plantations benefit from investments into education, better housing, better schools and better medical facilities.

Fairtrade supports the workers helping them to realise their rights through trade unions and collective bargaining.

General improvement in rural lives.

What are the economic benefits?

Through a minimum price requirement, Fairtrade is helping farmers become more secure in their income and less vulnerable to poverty.

Fairtrade helps farmers to negotiate higher prices for their product compared to the conventional market.

Additional income through the Fairtrade Foundation is supporting better farming, strong cooperatives, and investment in collective assets, local infrastructure and helping communities to plan for the future.

What are the environmental benefits?

The Fairtrade Foundation provides access to finance which can help in tackling climate change and long term environmental sustainability.

Fairtrade improves access to agricultural services like organic training and premium markets       , as a result the farmers have an incentive to farm better and sell more.

Investment in agricultural equipment or techniques to improve crops and yields.