Fair Trade coffee is the first commodity to be set up with an independent monitor. This monitor makes sure the Fair Trade agreement is adhered to, supporting the small farmers growing coffee around the world. The Fair Trade agreement, whether it is for coffee, espresso, chocolate, or any other number of items, creates a fair partnership between consumers and the producers of item. The Fair Trade movement is to ensure that small farmers and craftsmen get a fair price for their work… whether it is for a crafted item or for a harvest. In the case of Fair Trade coffee, it is the coffee farmers who get a boost from the agreement.

The Fair Trade coffee farmers are grouped into cooperatives around the world. The farmers receive a living wage credit at a fair price; and long lasting relationships with the buyers. Fair Trade payments are invested in education, health care, economic independence and environmental care. Fair Trade certified coffee is the first product to use this independent monitoring system. The system ensures that the coffee was produced under fair labour conditions for the workers. This is very important, as coffee production is very laborious work for all concerned.

Why is Fair Trade Certified Coffee so important? More and more people around the world are caring about how their products are produced. Is the product good for the earth? Are the workers treated well and paid sufficiently for their time? As more consumers learn of this trend, they are jumping on the bandwagon to purchase more Fair Trade products such Fair Trade coffee and espresso.

To conclude, many companies have signed on to offer Fair Trade coffee in San Francisco. These companies represent over 7,000 retail shops across the world. Buying Fair Trade coffee will even help farmers and their families all around the globe to break out of this cycle and live a better lifestyle.