"What is Fair Trade, Anyway?"

    What is fair trade, anyway?

    It's an important question to ask if you want to get involved in the fair trade movement, or perhaps if you are just considering buying some coffee labeled "fair trade" at your local cafe.

    There are many different types of fair trade, but at the heart of the matter is the principle of equitable exchange:  In exchange for being paid a guaranteed price and meeting labor and environmental standards (both for the workers and the products they produce), farming cooperatives receive a "fair trade" certification mark on their products. This certification allows grocers to sell their products from the farmers directly, often at a premium, cutting out the inflated profits of the middlemen on whom they depend for getting their goods to distant markets.  This boosts profits for the farmers and provides consumers with the guarantee that the product was produced in a safe, environmentally-friendly, and fair way.

    There are many different types of fair trade, and not all of them are equal. Some producers use organic methods of farming that don't include chemicals and pesticides that could be dangerous for both the producer and the consumer, but don't actually engage in fair trade. Or perhaps it is "corporate fair trade" only where the products are still sold to an intermediate company before reaching their final destination market; or perhaps the product is being advertised as being fairly traded, but the money isn't actually going back to the people who produced it like you think it is. It is important to distinguish between these different types of trade, and understand the potential effects both on the people who produce the food, and the people who are consuming it.  No one likes the idea that buying a product would hurt the people who helped make it--and that is the idea behind free trade. Safety and equity for the worker, the consumer, and everyone in between! Fair trade means that you can feel good about the coffee you are buying, because you will know exactly where and how it was made.

    In this blog, we will explore the different types of fair trade, and how they relate to the college student's all time favorite beverage--coffee! There are a number of coffee shops on and around the Kansas State University campus that we probably all frequent, and together we will explore which of these establishments offer fairly traded coffee, what type of fair trade they implement, and provide a report on exactly what to expect the next time you go looking for your caffeine fix.


Your fellow KSU student and coffee aficionado,
Kat