F for Fairtrade coffee beans

Fairtrade coffee - meaning and origin 

Never before has it been so important for people to know what ends up on their plates - or in their portafilters. Fairtrade coffee is on everyone's lips these days. Globalization continues to advance and with it the desire to be able to trace the origin of food. As a result, Fairtrade coffee is also coming to the fore.

The importance of Fairtrade coffee

Fairtrade coffee beans' means 'fairly traded coffee'. The trade and price of Fairtrade coffee is controlled and the farmers are paid a minimum price across the world market. The minimum prices serve as a safeguard, as prices on the world market can often fluctuate considerably. For sustainably and organically grown Fairtrade coffee, a price premium must also be paid. Fairtrade coffee thus primarily protects farmers and working people from the relevant regions in developing countries such as Africa, Asia or Latin America. The Fairtrade coffee agreements also include points such as a ban on discrimination, forced labor and child labor. In addition, certain environmental standards must be adhered to when growing Fairtrade coffee. In summary, it can be said that Fairtrade coffee stands for compliance with ecological, economic and social aspects.

The origin of Fairtrade coffee

After crude oil, coffee is the second most important exported raw material worldwide. Every German drinks an average of 163 liters of coffee per year (source: fairtrade Germany). However, the market share of Fairtrade coffee in Germany is just 4.5 percent (source fairtrade Germany).795,000 small farmers worldwide grow Fairtrade coffee. (Source: fairtrade Germany) The farmers are spread across parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The majority of Fairtrade coffee comes from the Latin American countries Peru, Honduras and Colombia, namely 83% (source fairtrade Germany). Fairtrade coffee is clearly traceable. Every single bean that is sold in Germany as Fairtrade coffee actually comes from a Fairtrade coffee cooperative. The Fairtrade coffee beans and non-Fairtrade coffee beans are handled and processed independently and separately. The flow of money and goods in the supply chain from the farmer to the German retailer is constantly monitored and controlled independently.