Fair Trade Coffee – What Is It All About?
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is an ardent supporter of the Fair Trade Movement and carry many Fair Trade Coffees under their label. The company also donates 5% of its annual gross profits to the Brewing A Better World Fund, which supports projects to improve the quality of life of coffee farmers. The fund also supports sustinable farming techniques locally and abroad in a mission to protect our resources.
You will see the Fair Trade Certified logo on a variety of products, including Green Mountain Coffee. Fair Trade is a grass roots movement, which supports small disadvantaged farmers and producers and sees that they get a fair price for their product. Coffee farmers can sell their beans for a higher price, receive help as they make a transition to more organic methods and they also have much needed credit made available. This helps stop big business from taking advantage of these small producers.
The Fair Trade logo can only be used by companies that are 100% committed to the principles of Fair Trade. When you see the logo on coffee or other products, it means that:
- The marketing of the product is ethical
- The product was grown on an organic or sustainable farm.
- The farmers earn a fair wage to commensurate for their product.
TransFairUSA is the product certifying body for the United States. It certiifies coffee, food, wine and flowers. In time, they hope to include other products such as garments, cosmetics and diamonds.
Green Mountain Coffee carries several Fair Trade Certified Coffees, some of which are organic blends, as well. Most are available in KCups as well as bags of whole beans. There is quite a variety of flavors and roasts from which to select:
- Green Mountain Mexican Blend
- Rain Forest Blend
- French Roast
- Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
- Green Mountain House Blend
- Organic Sumatra
- Wild Mountain Blueberry
- Vanilla Cream
- Peruvian Blend
- Green Mountain Breakfast Blend
- Newman’s Own Organic Blends
When you purchase a Fair Trade product, such as coffee, you should know that the following principles are being followed:
- The farmer received a certain minimum fair price plus an additional premium for organic products.
- There are fair labor conditions for farmers and workers.
- Forced child labor is not allowed at any cost.
- There is direct trade, eliminating unnecessary middlemen.
- Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues.
- The farmers invest in social and business development to improve life in their communities.
- Environmentally sustainable farming methods are used to protect both the environment and the farmers’ health.
So when you buy a Green Mountain Fair Trade Coffee, know that you are supporting these efforts while you get a great cup of coffee!
