BUILDING A BETTER LIFE
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Fair Trade FAQS

What is Fair Trade?

Fair Trade Certified coffee means that you can be assured that farmers who grew the coffee were paid a fair price and were organized in democratically run cooperatives. Under Fair Trade, farmers can more than double their incomes, allowing them to afford basic needs such as education and health care for their families. Fair Trade develops long- term relationships with producers that can rely on a guaranteed income. Credit is made available to the producers and the roasters cover the cost of certification.

Why is Fair Trade needed?

Many small coffee farmers receive prices for their coffee that are less than the cost of production, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debt. With little or no income between harvest months, farmers are usually forced to sell their next crop in advance to middlemen, who pay far below the harvests value this leads to situations where farmers can loose their farms and become hopelessly in debt.

What is FLO?

The first Fair Trade certification initiative called Max Havellar, was proposed in Holland in 1988. In 1997 Fair Trade labellers formed an international umbrella group called Fair Trade Labelling Organizations. This 17-member organization follows set criteria, which defines Fair Trade for a variety of products such as coffee, tea, sugar, cocoa, and honey. Monitoring and certification systems are maintained by FLO, which has field monitors in each producer country who annually visit all of the producer coops.

What are Fair Trade criteria for producers?

Members have to be small-scale farmers and belong to a coop. The co-op must be independent and democratically organized. Plantation and factory workers can participate in trade union activities and have decent wages, housing and health and safety standards. No form of political, racial, religious or sexual discrimination is practised. The use of child labour or forced labour is forbidden. Programs for environmental sustainability that respects the specific ecosystem and contribute to conservation and a sustainable use of natural resources are used. Integral human participation, which offer especially women the opportunity to play a roll in the development process.

Who benefits from Fair Trade?

Fair Trade coffee is grown exclusively on small-scale farms in over 20 different countries from Mexico to Ethiopia and from Bolivia to Sumatra. Fair Trade coffee is grown by approximately 300 farmer cooperatives that have over 500,000 farmers and their families as members. UCIRI is a Fair Trade cooperative in Oaxca, Mexico. UCIRI is a democratic village based cooperative of peasant farmers that started in 1982. Over 5,000 families from the Zapotec, Chontale or Mixe ethnic groups have farms averaging about 15 acres. Revenues from this co-op helped create the regions only public bus line, a hardware and farm supply center, healthcare services and the only secondary school in the region. Co-op members have nearly doubled their annual incomes by selling Fair Trade coffee.

How do we know if the coffee is Fair Trade?

Fair Trade coffee should have the appropriate logo attached to the product. Only those licensed by the Fair Trade organization may be involved in roasting Fair Trade coffee. All coffee produced in the world is packed in 130-150 pound burlap bags that are numbered and can be checked with FLO to see if it comes from a Fair Trade cooperative. As a consumer you can contact your local Fair Trade organization to verify the authenticity of a particular retailer. Look for this logo below.

What are some Fair Trade success stories? Testimonials.?

"Before, life was very hard for us, mainly because we could never get a decent price for our coffee. Now we have our own export co-op and we sell to the Fair Trade market. We have bought mules to carry the heavy coffees sacks down the mountainside, instead of using our backs. Fair Trade gives us more than a fair price it also gives us dignity and a chance to improve our lives and the lives of our children." Santiago Rivera coffee farmer Nicaragua.

Does Fair Trade mean Organic?

Although sustainable practices are encouraged not all Fair Trade coffee is organic. In order to label the coffee as Organic, it has to go through a certification process that is handled by a different organization such as the OCIA.

Is Fair Trade also bird-friendly or shade grown?

Although the two terms are not synonymous, most certified Fair Trade coffee is also shade grown, bird-friendly coffee. This is because the coffee is grown by small family farmers most of whom own traditional shaded farms that host a high diversity of birds. In addition to providing a habitat for these birds, these shade trees often bear fruit, providing additional food or income for farmers and their families.

Who monitors Fair Trade in Canada?

Trans Fair Canada is the body that monitors the flow of Fair Trade coffee

Is Fair Trade coffee very expensive?

When you actually look at the cost per cup of coffee you end up paying a few cents extra which in turn goes a long way for the farmers that have an average income in some countries of $30.00 a month. Think about what it would mean to help double the income of these farmers.

Is Moonbean Coffee Company certified?

Yes we are certified roasters and retailers and carry an extensive selection of Fair Trade coffees.

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