Fair Trade Coffee It's simple. It's fair. No one human becomes obscenely rich by making another human disgracefully poor. Fair Trade coffee is grown by small, organized cooperatives of farmers. Lives are given a fair chance to flourish. Businesses are driven by a desire to fairly exchange and share the benefits of the world's second most traded commodity after oil. Fair Trade is simply fair-minded thinking put into practice. Peace Coffee purchases directly from coffee cooperatives at a guaranteed minimum price ensuring the farmers a livable wage. Pour a soulful cup that produces equitable profits for farmers, fewer impoverished people and widespread hope. CONVENTIONAL COFFEE IS TRADED CONVENTIONALLY Meaning a faceless transaction where prices are based on the New York futures market. Local speculators (appropriately named "coyotes") take full advantage of price fluctuations and the farmers' lack of access to market information. The coyotes scavenge the farmers, generally paying less than the market price. In the conventional coffee market, the bean travels a circuitous route from farm to your cup, involving a dizzying number of parties and transactions. Depending on the country and multinationals involved the chain might be as follows: The Mega-Monster Coffee trading system ignores economic justice, rural communities and the environment. Pour a bitter cup that produces a swirling cycle of poverty, excessive spoils for a few and more heavy-handed despair. THIS ENTIRE GLOBAL INDUSTRY IS PILED ON THE BACK OF ABUSED AND FORGOTTEN FARMERS Philip Morris, Nestle and Proctor & Gamble dominate the U.S. coffee market, which consumes one third of world coffee exports. Their unquenchable profit motive drives a market that ignores the realities facing coffee farmers. In 1994 a Nestle coffee executive was asked for an opinion on sun vs. shade-grown coffee. The executive had never heard of the issue and responded, "price and quality are our two determinants… we have NO relationship with coffee growers." To find out the difference see our Shade Grown Info. FAIR TRADE PRICING GUARANTEES A LIVABLE WAGE Farmers obtain prices 100-200% higher through fair trade as compared to what coyotes offer (Click here to see some contracts that verify what Peace Coffee pays farmers). By gaining access to the market, price information, credit, marketing and processing (cleaning coffee beans) they could sell their coffee for more and create a real future.One of the most powerful fair trade tools is paying advance credit on coffee purchases and establishing long-term relationships. By doing this, small coffee farmers can avoid the insecurity surrounding the next harvest. Simply put: Your coffee selection has the potential for powerful economic and environmental change. At Peace Coffee, we trade fairly with small, organic coffee grower cooperatives in Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia, Ethiopia and Sumatra. These cooperatives share the goal of improving the lives of everyone in the community through investment in infrastructure such as healthcare and education. We will of course trade fairly and keep you up to date on why all the cooperatives we work with merit our purchases and your support. It's simple. It's fair. It always tastes and feels better.   FAIR TRADE CERTIFICIATION REQUIRMENTS The following requirements are set by Transfair USA, which Peace Coffee is a licensee of: Fair price: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. Farmer organizations are also eligible for pre-harvest credit. Fair labor conditions: Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited. Direct trade: With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace. Democratic and transparent organizations: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues. Community development: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification. Environmental sustainability: Harmful agrochemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmersπ health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations. FAIR TRADE FEDERATION MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA The following guidelines are the Membership Criteria for the Fair Trade Federation, which Peace Coffee stringently adheres to: Paying a fair wage in the local context. Offering employees opportunities for advancement. Providing equal employment opportunities for all people, particularly the most disadvantaged. Engaging in environmentally sustainable practices. Being open to public accountability. Building long-term trade relationships. Providing healthy and safe working conditions within the local context. Providing financial and technical assistance to producers whenever possible.