Blog: Spilling the Tea on Fairtrade Coffee

 You’ve probably seen the labels and heard the buzzwords: Fairtrade. Sustainability. Ethically sourced. But maybe you’re just a casual coffee drinker who likes to enjoy a plain cup of joe on your morning commute, and maybe you’ve never known what the hype is about—or why it matters.

Well fairtrade does matter, and it deserves all the hype it gets. It’s… well, it’s good.

It Tastes Good

Simply put: fairtrade beans make good coffee. During a quality competition in Kenya, four of the top ten coffees were Fairtrade certified. Because they weren’t always heavily marketed, they had a reputation for being low-quality beans, a reputation fairtrade coffees still fight to this day. They’re starting to get the recognition they deserve now, though, and as they’ve worked to break free from that stereotype, they’ve attracted consumers of specialty coffee by delivering high quality. Plus, farmers consistently work to improve their quality to make sure their coffee is worth every cent coffee drinkers are want to pay.

It’s Good for Sustainability

Growing fairtrade beans has changed how farmers work. Instead of chopping down tropical forests or using pesticides like other coffee farmers might, they’ve reevaluated “obstacles” they’ve faced to create a more sustainable farm. “Before, a tree used to be an obstacle, and we’d just cut it down,” says Luis Fernando Vasquez, a farmer in Costa Rica. Now, however, he’s found that coffee plants growing under the shade of a tree taste better and reduce soil erosion, even if they do produce fewer beans. He also used to clear decaying leaves and burn them but now uses them as soil fertilizer. By keeping the landscape the way it is, farmers have found a way to make guilt-free beans while sustaining vegetation and wildlife around them.

Luis Fernando Vasquez, credit to NPR

It Feels Good

Coffee drinkers supporting fairtrade beans like knowing they’re supporting sustainability, the environment, and the quality of life for the farming partners (more on that later) as they enjoy their latte. That awareness makes the experience more powerful “because you just feel better about drinking it,” says one marketing executive. It’s not just about fair wages, though. Fairtrade practices help empower women coffee growers and prevent child labor. They have a lasting impact on the environment and deforestation. They’re good for the economy. Everyone can find something they feel good about contributing to.

It’s Good for Your Brand

If coffee drinkers know you’re committed to fairtrade practices, they’ll become committed to you. More than 60% of consumers recognize the Fair Trade Certified label, and 78% of them trust it. That recognition and trust lets the customer know that you can be trusted, and it shows that you’re committed to the same values they have. Those aligned values can create a loyal customer, one who recognizes that they’re buying coffee from someone who wants to impact the world as they do.

Fairtrade International’s SDGs

It’s Good for Farmers

Fairtrade is all about the farmers. Fair wages, safer working environments, empowered partnerships with coffee suppliers. But the way fairtrade farming impacts their quality of life cannot be overstated. Profits farmers receive are often invested in their local communities by way of social development programs. Children are a focus through the building of schools, libraries, and childcare facilities. Overall health is addressed through health clinics, installation of clean water pumps, and a focus on disaster relief. Preparation for future success can be seen through scholarship programs and job training.

Brew and Steep understands the importance of fairtrade beans. They know what’s good about it, in every sense of the word. Their mission is to unite communities one cup at a time, and that cup carries a lot of weight. It’s good: how it tastes, what it represents, and who it protects.

Enjoy your next cup. Hope it’s a good one.

Meta description: The benefits of Fairtrade coffee range from superior quality, sustainability, fair wages for farming partners, and brand building.