Why is “Fair Trade Certified™” fair?

What does Fair Trade Certified (FTC) mean?
Fair Trade certification means that TransFair USA, an independent, third party certification agency, guarantees that the family farmers who grew your coffee were paid a fair price.

Fair Trade (FT) specifically guarantees:

• A fair and above market price is paid directly to farmer cooperatives.
• Growers are free to organize democratically. Co-op members elect co-op management and decide on how FT earnings are used.
• Farmers minimize chemical use and avoid the most harmful pesticides altogether. (e.g. dirty dozen pesticides are prohibited under FTC terms).
• International Labor Organization standards covering child and forced labor, freedom of association, collective bargaining, and anti-discrimination are met.

Why is Fair Trade needed?

• The majority of the world’s coffee is grown by small-scale family farmers, who are amongst the poorest farmers in the world.
• Lack of direct market access, volatile world coffee prices, poor infrastructure, and limited education often force small farmers to sell their harvest for less than the cost of production.
• These farmers end up in a cycle of poverty and debt; they cannot care for their families or invest in the quality of their coffee

Through fair pricing, millions of people around the world are able to stay on their land, put food on the table, keep their kids in school, and invest in the quality of their crop.

How do consumers know if a coffee is Fair Trade Certified?
Consumers should look for the Fair Trade Certified label on the coffee they buy.

Visit www.transfairusa.org for more information.