Coffee is often depicted as the poster child for the fair trade movement, which seeks to improve the social and environmental standards of a range of commodities. And the spectrum of stickers on a bag of coffee beans today are symbols for just how complex fair trade efforts have become.
“Fair trade is acting in a marketplace that is largely disconnected, anonymous, sort of faceless and consequently a lot of bad things happen,” said Rodney North, director of marketing and external relations at Fairtrade America, in an interview with Devex.
The fair trade movement sets a floor price for commodities like coffee, then certifiers like Fairtrade International work to ensure that the transactions are benefiting the farmer and the community.