by Elyse Myrans
Steam rises from the dark, fragrant brew as the barista hands you your mandatory morning coffee. You move from your place at the front of the line towards the condiments bar to tailor your coffee to taste –a little sugar, maybe some skim or half and half- before pressing a lid onto the cup and walking out into the world with your morning prescription in hand. Unfortunately, deciding between sugar and splenda is usually the most in depth thought consumers have about their coffee each day- they rarely consider whether the beans for their coffee were acquired through fair trade or not.

When you purchase fair trade coffee at your favourite coffee shop or grocery store, you can be certain that the farmer who produced the beans for your drink was paid a fair price. Many people assume that all coffee farmers receive a fair price for their product, but unfortunately that is not the case. As a result of incredibly low coffee prices in the last decade, coffee farmers and producers around the world have felt a devastating blow. In fact, most farmers only receive about $0.54 for every pound of coffee that the consumer buys!

Globally, coffee is the 2nd most valuable commodity in the world, second only to oil. In many developing countries it accounts for a significant portion of exports, and is a primary source of financial revenue. Yet the effects of the coffee market crash have been devastating and widespread, often effecting small family run coffee crops most. In many instances, farmers have even left entire crops to rot after realizing that the cost of harvesting the beans would exceed the revenue they would receive in return.

Fair trade coffee differs though, in that its producers are often paid near double the world market price of coffee, allowing them to earn a better income and maintain the quality of their product over time. This dramatic difference in price is in large part a result of cutting out the middleman –who would usually take advantage of the coffee farmer’s inability to connect directly with exporters- and connecting the farmer with buyers who will pay a fair price.

What does all this mean for you? It means that purchasing fair trade coffee is in effect a commitment to help alleviate poverty and support a farmer who would otherwise be forced to face even more desperate financial conditions. That is a pretty big deal when you consider that all you’d need to do to make a difference and support fair trade is ask for a different brew in the morning. Yet so few people opt for this alternative on a daily basis. Fair trade coffee accounts for a tiny fraction of the coffee out there: it is usually available in limited quantities in grocery stores, and tends to only be found in specialty coffee shops with an ethical conscience. As a consumer it is your right, and your responsibility, to choose products acquired ethically, and to encourage others to do so too (yes, you can ask your coffee bar to start brewing it). So tomorrow, as you saunter up to the coffee bar counter, reconsider your options for a moment and ask the barista for the fair trade version of your daily caffeine fix.