Fairtrade coffee was one of the first fairtrade products to be sold in the UK and there are now dozens of blends available. Fairtrade coffee is probably one of the first products people think of with regards to fairtrade as they are widely available in both stores and cafes.
Fairtrade coffee is classed as such because the producers are paid higher prices than those available in the normal marketplace. This enables them to build better communities for themselves including educating their children and having access to better medical care. In terms of product quality, this can be expected to be at least as high as that of any other coffee and, in fact, some argue that it is often better as it is usually the smaller farmers who are part of the fairtrade scheme.
All the major UK supermarkets stock fairtrade coffee and coffee shops including Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Pret a Manger all sell fairtrade varieties. The Marks & Spencer cafes in fact only sell fairtrade coffee. When products such as these are available in an out of home context, this also encourages consumers to buy for their home environment.
For a list of all the available fairtrade coffee brands visit the Fairtrade Foundation website where stockists are also listed.
