Does Fair Trade Work for Coffee?

A social movement called “fair trade” attempts to advance sustainable agriculture and raise the standard of living for small-scale farmers and workers in underdeveloped nations. It is a certification program that makes sure that requirements are met along the whole supply chain. Numerous products, including coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, bananas, and many others, can be certified as fair trade.

When coffee is labeled as fair trade, it signifies that the farmers who grow the beans are paid fairly for their produce and have a minimum price guaranteed independent of market fluctuations. Additionally, they get a premium that is used to fund community improvement initiatives including infrastructure, healthcare, and education. In order to receive fair trade certification, growers must also adhere to ecologically friendly standards, such as employing organic agricultural techniques and lowering their carbon impact. Is the Fair Trade label exclusive to coffee?

The fair trade certification does not only apply to coffee, though. Tea, cocoa, sugar, bananas, and a host of other products are among the numerous that can be found with the label. The fair trade movement seeks to advance sustainable agriculture and raise the standard of living for small-scale farmers and workers in underdeveloped nations. Any product that complies with the fair trade standards can therefore use the label.

Because it guarantees that farmers receive a fair price for their goods, which is frequently greater than the market price, fair trade coffee is more expensive. Farmers also get a premium, which is put toward initiatives for neighborhood improvement. Farmers frequently need to make additional investments to meet the sustainability standards necessary for fair trade certification, such as switching to organic agricultural practices and lowering their carbon impact. The price of fair trade coffee is greater due to all of these variables. Does Starbucks use coffee that is Fair Trade?

Numerous products from Starbucks are made with fair trade coffee. By 2020, the company promises to source all of its cocoa, coffee, and tea from ethical and sustainable sources. Many of its items have fair trade certification, for example. The C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity) Practices are Starbucks’ own sustainability guidelines that support moral and ethical coffee procurement. These actions consist of giving farmers higher prices, contributing to initiatives for neighborhood improvement, and supporting ecologically friendly farming techniques.

As a result, fair trade certification for coffee makes sure that farmers get a fair price for their crop, contribute to community development initiatives, and use ecologically friendly practices. A large variety of products can bear the fair trade label, which raises the price of fair trade goods. Starbucks has dedicated to ethical and sustainable coffee sourcing and employs fair trade coffee in several of its products.