Organic Fair Trade Coffee

Lately organic has been all the rage when it comes to all sorts of products, from food to beauty products and gardening. For most, ?organic? is basically synonymous with ?natural.? Normal products are supposed to have all sorts of chemicals in them, while organic stuff is chemical free and comes from uncaged chickens and cows that eat real grass. Following this kind of logic, organic fair trade coffee must be made from real, natural coffee beans. But what?s the ?fair trade? part?

If something?s fair trade, it means that it?s fair trade certified. Fair trade certified means that the farmers from whom the products are purchased are receiving a fair price for their wares. Fair trade supports local farmers who are able to take charge of their own harvests by having direct contracts with international buyers. By receiving a fair price, these farmers can get the money they need to get education and health care for their families and to sustain their environment. By trading with farmers instead of simply aiding them, they can maintain autonomy and develop their businesses on their own. Some of these farmers develop businesses that deal with coffee beans and sell them to companies for fair prices, resulting in organic fair trade coffee for us to drink.

Intuitively it?s better to purchase organic fair trade coffee than coffee made from coffee beans purchased unfairly from exploited farmers. But sometimes it?s hard to be involved with the issues of organic products and fair labor practices when we?re so far removed from them. It?s admirable to make the switch to organic products, but it?s almost like organic is becoming another fad, and the cause doesn?t go far beyond buying things just because they have the word ?organic? on them. You might buy products from stores or eat from restaurants advertising their food as organic, but if you ask them for specific details about the origins of their products, they don?t always have an answer. So how do we really know what?s going on during the delivery process of the products we consume?

Stepping away from the soap box, a practical concern regarding organic products is price. Some customers are reluctant to buy organic products because they?re more expensive. But it?s interesting to consider why non-organic products are so cheap?it probably says something about the quality that?s easier to not think about.

In the end, if a cup of organic fair trade coffee has a better chance of promoting human and environmental causes, it seems like a good idea to choose it over a normal cup. Wagering organic coffee beans for that likelihood, that?s probably what Pascal would say.