In 2011, America consumed an estimated 146 billion cups of coffee. The massive market for this caffeinated beverage has made coffee beans one of the biggest traded commodities in the world, with the US alone importing $4 billion dollars’ worth of it every single year. This has made a lot of money for a lot of people, but it’s not without costs.

Despite its overall profitability, coffee farmers often make less than 10% of the retail price of their coffee, resulting in incredibly low wages. Additionally, there are a variety of environmental issues associated with its production in many countries, such as deforestation. These problems are encouraged by an unbalanced trading structure between developing nations and the rest of the world, and these issues are not exclusive to coffee. 

To combat this, the Fair Trade movement developed to fight for better trading conditions for producers in these countries. This movement works to empower consumers to knowingly buy products with fair prices, ethical standards, and environmental standards. Several major free trade organizations have risen out of this movement to certify that products are meeting these standards.

View the video and take our quiz to learn some more about fair trade so that next time you sip your coffee, or enjoy a bit of chocolate, you can help create a more socially, economically and environmentally just planet.

Welcome to Fair Trade Actions for Green!

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