Since we started roasting and bagging our own beans we are regularly asked if our coffee is Fairtrade. I have always been a supporter of the right of farmers to receive a decent price for their crops. Fairtrade (the organisation) was originally founded to fight against the growing trend of supermarkets and conglomerates who were hammering down the price of coffee and in turn giving the farmer less and less.
Lately though I have found the Fairtrade organisation to be losing its way, paying £1 million for a logo change is hardly charitable, when that money could have been given to farmers. I feel it is becoming nothing more than a marketing tool for the very supermarkets it once fought against. Yes farmers get a “fair” price, but is it enough?
As a speciality coffee roaster, we decided to ensure that all beans we buy are not only “Fair” but are bought from sustainable farms where the farmer isn’t just taking the best price available, but is actually making a profit, which can be put back into the business, not only improving the quality of the coffee but their way of life.