Growing Fair Trade Coffee Gives Coffee Farmers A Better Life

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Fair Trade better for coffee farmers

Fair Trade certified coffee allows coffee farmers in the poorest areas of the world to lift themselves out of poverty by obtaining a fair price for their product. Here are some of the ways that growing Fair Trade coffee gives coffee farmers a better life.

Fair Trade USA is a non-profit organization established for the purpose of monitoring and certifying products as Fair Trade. Coffee is only one of several products that can be Fair Trade certified. Other products include tea, wine, honey, grain, wearing apparel, body care and many others.

Fairtrade International is an organization that sets the standards for Fair Trade certification on an international level. The mission of this organization is to support Fair Trade producers, as well as, promoting trade justice.

Fair Trade certification and labeling was enacted in the late 1980s to assure consumers that strict social and economic standards are followed in the growing, harvesting, packaging and labeling of coffee. Every step of coffee growing and packaging must be 100% Fair Trade coffee in order to be certified by Fair Trade USA and carry the Fair Trade label.

Ordering Espresso Drinks At Local Coffee Shop

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Going into a coffee shop can be a traumatic experience, with all the different types of coffee drinks listed on the menu. There's no problem ordering hot or iced regular coffee, but deciding which type of espresso drink to order can bring out the anxiety.

It is important to understand, espresso beans are the same as any other coffee bean. The difference comes in the roasting process and there are many names given to espresso drinks which oftentimes have only minute differences.

 

Coffee Roasting Terminology

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The terminology used in the coffee roasting process describes the degree of heat exposure, the color of the roasted coffee beans, and the amount of oils that are allowed to break through the surface of the coffee beans.
During the roasting process chemicals and physical properties of the coffee are transformed by heat to produce just the right flavor in the coffee. The roasting of the green coffee beans develops the flavor and produces the individual characteristics of a particular coffee.
The terminology used in describing the varying degrees of coffee roasting include:

 

Kona Coffee from the Island of Hawaii

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Blue Horse Kona Coffee Farm,  Kealakekua,HI

Travel to the tropical Kona Coast on the big island of Hawaii and you will find a 20 mile stretch of small family coffee plantations that grow some of the finest coffee on earth. Kona coffee bushes thrive on the cool slopes of the Mauna Loa Mountains, which are rich in volcanic soil and enjoy morning sun and afternoon cloud cover. This growing environment gives Kona coffee an advantage over any other coffee grown in other parts of the world. Coffee trees normally bloom in late autumn, with harvesting continuing until late winter.

Kopi Luwak - Some Very Expensive Coffee

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A Luwak's Favorite Food - Freshly Ripened Coffee Cherries

In the 1990s a strange type of coffee entered North America. This special coffee has sold for as much as $600 per pound and a single cup of brewed Kopi Luwak coffee can sell for as much as $30. On the Indonesian island of Sumatra lives a civet-like creature called a Paradoxurus. The locals simply refer to this animal as a luwak. These small animals live in the trees and truly enjoy eating the red, ripe coffee cherries. Luwaks only eat the choicest, most perfectly matured coffee beans. As the coffee beans pass through the luwak's digestive system, they undergo a special chemical treatment that actually removes most of the bitterness from the coffee beans.