When a product features the Fair Trade USA logo, the nonprofit organization Fair Trade USA has certified that the people who produce that product are justly compensated for their work; in the case of fair trade coffee, the Fair Trade logo indicates that coffee farmers have received a price per pound that equates to livable wages.
A Batdorf & Bronson® we are not only proud to offer fair trade coffees (like Organic French Roast, Organic Nicaraguan, and Whirling Dervish), we are proud that all of our coffees are produced by people earning a living wage. In many cases we have a relationship with the farmer, sometimes going back many years. At Batdorf nothing replaces a relationship, however, fair trade coffee certification remains a valuable tool, demonstrating for those who may not know us as well as others that we are committed not only to sustainable environments but a sustainable supply chain, ensuring everyone in the supply chain receives fair compensation.
Sometimes we get to have a close relationship as well as fair trade coffee certification. This is the case with our Organic Costa Rican coffee from Los Lobos and our Organic Nicaraguan. However, outside of Batdorf & Bronson®, fair trade coffee certification is one method coffee consumers can use to ensure that the coffee they drink was produced in an ethical manner and the farmer received fair compensation. It is not always possible to know as much about every coffee roaster as you might know about Batdorf. Although a Fair Trade logo does not ensure everything a company does is ethical or sustainable, it does tell you that the coffee farmers received a fair price. In any case, we believe it is important to ask where the coffee you drink comes from, how it was produced, by who and under what conditions. These are questions we ask every day.