Fair Trade Should Matter to You

Did you know that if you spend for two cups of specialty coffee at $2.20 each, every day for one year, you’ll be spending more than what many coffee farmers are earning in a year?

That’s how bad the situation can be in coffee farms in some developing countries where growers cannot squarely compete in a free market. They need fair trade. It’s a burgeoning non-governmental movement based in the U.K. that promises to give coffee growers a fair price, one that will allow them to earn a decent living.

To help you better grasp why farmers are at a losing end in this multi-billion global business, the coffee infographic below illustrates the disparity in living conditions among the players in the global supply chain. That includes you as a coffee drinker and part of about a hundred million Americans drinking their cup of Joe every day.