Sunday, August 30, 2009

Organic Coffee And Fair Trade

By Ali Bautista

Good coffee comes freshly ground coffee beans that have been perfectly roasted. A good organic coffee bean can be grown in a sustainable manner. A clear conscience comes from knowing the beans have been sourced ethically and the proceeds have gone back to the farmer. It is possible for all these things to exist together.

Fair Trade is a growing movement that aims to cut out the middleman in trading so that the money goes back to the farmer or grower and not to administrators along the way. Paying a fair price for a good product.

Some buyers have even gone so far as to pay part of their purchase in advance instead of waiting for delivery before paying. This is an attempt to keep farmers from needing to get loans between the coffee harvest through till time of payment.

Organic Coffee is a natural synergy for countries such as Peru and Ethiopia. Here there is a tradition of low-tech, small farms, and harsh conditions. The coffee that is produced can't compete in term of volume with the big coffee growing nations such as Columbia or Brazil. Instead they can concentrate of niche markets who want high quality organic coffee.

Co-operatives are a common occurrence to allow an economic mass to be gathered. Sense of community is enhanced and it allows money to be directed back to the community for medical or educational purposes.

The emergence of organic coffees as a viable alternative has in some cases pushed some farmers away from drug crops as they can now make a living from traditional crops.

Good coffee and ethical trading can work together. - 29161

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