Fair Trade Certified Coffee Protects The Future Industry

 By Darren Craddock

While sipping on your delicious coffee the last thing that goes through your mind probably is who grew the coffee beans. But the thing is there would be no coffee if there was nobody to grow the beans. And without fair trade certified coffee, that may very well be the case in the future.

 

It is perplexing how large the coffee industry is yet how little the farmers get paid. Many work incredibly long hours or a minute salary. In fact, many farmers struggle just to keep their family running efficiently. It is only a matter of time before poverty will hit farmers thus eliminating those capable of growing coffee beans.

So what does this mean to you? It means that coffee will become virtually extinct with no beans to make the coffee. This may be going a little far, but the truth of the matter is farmers are in need of more money to keep their family running and keep the farm going smoothly. The only hope for the future rests with fair trade certified coffee.

Fair trade coffee ensures that farmers are being paid and treated fairly. Coffee farmers are paid a fair trade premium of $1.26 for every pound of certified coffee that is purchased. And with millions of pounds of certified coffee already purchased over the last several years, farmers are gradually moving out of poverty. 

 

With this money, farmers are able to support their families with health care, education, food, and all other facets of life. In addition to family support, the money also goes a long way in furthering the farm. It gives farmers the opportunity to improve equipment and the methods used to harvest so that far more beans can be produced in a shorter period of time.

More and more places are beginning to carry fair trade organic coffee for consumers to purchase. But it still is not out enough to support farmers the way they need to be. However, it has only been a few years since certified coffee has been around. Hopefully over the next ten to fifteen years the fair trade coffee market will explode.

The next time you purchase coffee, ask for certified coffee. It will not cost you anything extra, but it can help keep the coffee industry up and running in the future. The more support coffee farmers have the more likely you will be able to continue drinking coffee.