Fair Trade & Labor

Fair Trade Coffee Fact Sheet

Download as pdf here

Introduction

Global coffee prices are at an all-time low, causing millions of coffee farmers to face debt and starvation. You can Support farmers in Central America and Mexico by requesting Transfair Certified Coffee which guarantees a minimum, living wage for farmers’ labor. Non-Fair Trade coffee farmers receive an average of 38¢ per pound of coffee, while Fair Trade coffee cooperatives receive a minimum of $1.26 per pound, which provides money for education, healthcare and housing for farmers’ families.

Facts:

• Fair Trade Certified coffee is grown on small, family-run farms.

• Approximately 80% of the Fair Trade Certified coffee sold in the US since 1999
was certified organic.

• Farmers receiving a Fair Trade price for their coffee can afford improved
healthcare and housing for their families and can keep their kids in school longer,
instead of working in the fields. Receiving a decent price also means farmers can
afford materials for the farm.

• Some of the revenues from Fair Trade co-ops are used for community projects, such as building schools and healthcare centers. Revenues are also often used to provide farmers with training in organic farming techniques.

• 300 Fair Trade cooperatives in 21 countries, representing 550,000 farmers and
their families, sell their coffee through the Fair Trade Register.

• According to a 1999 TransFair survey in Central America, non-Fair Trade
coffee farmers received an average of about 38¢ per pound from the
middlemen through which they were forced to sell.

• Fair Trade coffee cooperatives receive a minimum of $1.26 per pound
for their coffee, and receive a 15¢/lb premium if it is also certified organic.

• Currently, over 97 coffee roasters and importers in the U.S. are licensed to sell
Fair Trade Certified coffee, and it is available in approximately 7,000 retail
outlets.