Fair Trade Friday

Posted on: 2016-11-04 12:22 PM

Second only to the oil industry, coffee is the second largest international commodity. Because of the extraordinary demand for coffee in the West, the coffee bean industry is one of the largest sites of forced labor and child slavery around the world. The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 250 million child slaves working to produce many of our everyday purchases such as coffee and cocoa. As you might imagine, forced laborers and child slaves have little or no rights. They are exploited for their work, forced to work long hours with little or no pay. These workers are also often exposed to dangerous chemical fertilizers and pesticides that have been banned in the US, causing them to contract lifelong health conditions.
 
When we choose to buy Fair Trade, we are casting a vote for the ethical treatments of the laborers around the world who are responsible for our daily coffee fix. You can read more about some of the common certifications that apply to the world of coffee production here. These 14 Fair Trade coffee brands have made it an integral part of their mission to develop lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships by employing Fair Trade and Direct Trade practices with the farmers who cultivate their crops.
 
Here’s to drinking world changing cups of coffee.
 
If you’re looking to get some Fair Trade coffee shipped to you…
 
Salt Spring Coffee
 
Ethics | Fair For Life, B Corporation, 1% For Planet
Location | Richmond, British Columbia
Where to Buy | Online
 
Salt Spring is a family owned company of pioneering entrepreneurs. It has cultivated lasting partnerships with farmers and is Fair for Life certified - which ensures that human rights are guaranteed at every stage of production, that workers enjoy good and equitable working conditions, and that small family farmers receive a fair share. Salt Spring is also a B Corporation and does extensive work to care for the planet by recycling, composting and pushing the limits of efficiency. In addition to their ethical practices, Salt Spring selects and roasts beans that are on the leading edge of great taste so you can brew standout coffee in a way that gives back to the world.