Fairtrade coffee: What you should know and consider

Manufacturing under fair conditions
Fairtrade coffee: what consumers should know about it

Anyone who likes to drink coffee will seldom simply blindly reach for the shelf and grab the next best coffee beans or any coffee powder. In addition to the preferred taste, other factors usually have to be right, for example that the coffee is Fairtrade. Because good conditions during cultivation and production are becoming more and more important to many. But when exactly is coffee “fair trade”? What do I have to look out for when buying – and what is the difference to coffee that does not have a Fairtrade seal?

When is it fair trade coffee?

Lennart Altscher is the founder of Roastclub, a provider that brings together various coffee manufacturers and sells their products. He says: Coffee with the Fairtrade seal can often be found on supermarket shelves or in world or organic shops. “As a buyer, you can be sure that the product has been traded fairly in accordance with Fairtrade standards. Among other things, the producers of the green coffee receive a guaranteed minimum price regardless of the world market price and social premiums are paid for each pound of Arabica green coffee sold , which are invested in projects to increase productivity or quality.”

Karina Schneider, spokeswoman for coffee at Tchibo, adds on the subject of Fairtrade: “We use what we learn on site. To start joint projects and activities with Fairtrade and thus support the farmers in better cultivation and management. Behind all Fairtrade Products stand for people and their stories: With the Fairtrade code, customers can embark on a virtual journey – from the shelf in the supermarket to the producers in the growing countries.” So are, for example all Tchibo Barista coffees Fairtrade certified. That’s becoming more and more important. You are also particularly sustainable if you have coffee at home in one fully automatic prepared with little waste.

What else should you consider when buying Fairtrade coffee?

Altscher thinks that the Fairtrade approach is generally very positive. But he also says: “A coffee that bears the Fairtrade seal does not necessarily have a high taste quality. If you want to get your money’s worth in terms of taste and don’t want to ignore the social aspect, you will usually find at small, regional coffee roasters his luck.” With so-called “specialty coffee”, which is of better quality than ordinary coffee from the supermarket, the contact between roasters and coffee producers is particularly transparent and direct. The prices are higher, but the quality is all the better.

Altscher goes on to explain: “Specialty coffee from local roasters hardly ever bears the Fairtrade seal, but this does not mean that it does not meet the criteria of fair trade: On the one hand, the roasters pay for their green coffee according to the Quality a significantly higher purchase price compared to the Fairtrade minimum price.” On the other hand, they often maintain direct relationships with the coffee producers and convince themselves of the conditions on site in the coffee-growing countries. This trading model is referred to as “direct trade”. The subject of Fairtrade coffee is therefore more complex than initially assumed, according to the expert.

Learn more about Fairtrade coffee

Overall, it is also becoming increasingly important for retailers to ensure transparency and to make it clear under which conditions the coffee that is offered was produced. The numbers in the Tchibo coffee report also make this clear:

Sources used:Tchibo coffee report / roast club

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