Fair Trade News

May 22nd, 2007 | The Press-Enterprise
by Amanda Strindberg


Serving an ethical cup of coffee

Tom Lopez starts his day with a pot of bold Fair Trade coffee.

The Corona resident enjoys sipping without the guilt. It's the perfect blend of doing right and great-tasting coffee, said Lopez, 55.

"I'm just doing my little part," he said. "It's not much, but it's something."

But to a farmer in an impoverished community, Fair Trade can mean survival, said Elizabeth Bertani, spokeswoman for TransFair USA, the nonprofit organization that certifies and audits Fair Trade products in the United States.

The Fair Trade label is a guarantee to consumers that the farmer received a fair price for the harvest, the employees work in safe conditions, and the crops are grown using environmentally sustainable practices.

The label is a seal of approval to a growing number of socially conscious consumers who want to know they are not purchasing products from exploited farmers in Third World countries.

In 1986, when Fair Trade came to the U.S. market in response to a coffee crisis that sent many small-scale farmers into spiraling debt, coffee was the only Fair Trade product offered and it wasn't widely available.

Tami Baty, 21, of Ontario, prepares a latte at Coffee Klatch in Rancho Cucamonga.
Paul Alvarez / The Press Enterprise

Gaining Steam

Since then, Fair Trade products have shed their frumpy image and are now sold at stores ranging from Nordstrom to Dunkin' Donuts.

The guiltless goods are offered by 600 companies and can be found at 40,000 retail locations nationwide, including supermarkets, cafés, restaurants, specialty food stores, college campuses and even churches, TransFair USA reports.

Fair Trade products have expanded to include cocoa, sugar, tea, rice, vanilla and even some fruit. Jewelry, clothes and home décor items are also available.

"The band is getting wider," Bertani said.

Fair Trade Certified coffee, the most widely produced Fair Trade product, has become the fastest-growing specialty coffee in the United States, according to TransFair USA.

From 2005 to 2006, sales of Fair Trade Certified coffee increased by 45 percent, TransFair USA reported.

This translated to educational opportunities, food, resources and better working conditions for farmers, TransFair contends.

Since 1998, TransFair USA's Fair Trade Certified program has earned coffee farmers $91 million in additional income. In 2006, the average world coffee price was $1.07 per pound with some farmers selling to middlemen for 50 cents a pound, but Fair Trade Certified farmers were paid a minimum of $1.21.

Experts are calling the campaign a movement, a way for Americans to "vote" with their dollar.

Henry's Farmers Market, a chain of natural-food stores, offers a wide selection of Fair Trade products including coffee, tea, sugar, chocolate, and, at some locations, mangos and avocados.

The store said it has grown its Fair Trade selections in response to customers' requests.

"More and more people were saying, 'We expect you to carry these products,' " said Sonja Tuitele, spokeswoman for Henry's.

Since Fair Trade products eliminate the middleman, they typically sell for about the same price as conventional products, Tuitele said.

"People want to know that when they are spending money it is making a difference," Tuitele said.

Lorraine Jansen, 20, of Alta Loma, pours a cup of coffee at Coffee Klatch in Rancho Cucamonga. Coffee Klatch in Rancho Cucamomnga has devoted Fridays to brewing only Fair Trade Certified coffee.
Paul Alvarez / The Press Enterprise

Coffee With a Conscience

At Coffee Klatch, a coffee shop in Rancho Cucamonga, owner Mike Perry has named Friday Fair Trade Friday to help raise awareness of the brews. Every Friday, Fair Trade coffee is brewed as the coffee of the day.

"It's an opportunity to explain to customers what Fair Trade means," said Perry, who also owns Klatch Roasting. "Everyone likes to feel like they are doing a good thing and this is assurance that the farmers are getting a good price."

But the Fair Trade label is not always assurance that it's a good cup of coffee.

"My No. 1 priority is to buy the best coffee possible," Perry said. "Sometimes that's Fair Trade and sometimes it's not."

Bertani of TransFair USA said Fair Trade does not guarantee quality, but since Fair Trade Certified farmers have to adhere to environmentally friendly growing standards and are being paid more, the coffee will typically reflect that, she said.

Not everyone is on board.

Michael Rodé, owner of Black Sheep Coffee in Murrieta, has resisted serving Fair Trade blends.

"There's a lot of hype about it," he said. "But it boils down to quality. ... It just doesn't have the presence. In general, you don't have to demand Fair Trade if your products are good."

But for Lopez, the farmer-friendly java is the perfect way to start the day.

"It tastes great," he said. "And it allows me to do more with my dollar."

Contact reporter Amanda Strindberg at 951-368-9667 or astrindberg@PE.com