Redefining fair trade coffee – Independent Weekly
Ben Horner cools freshly roasted beans at Counter Culture. The local company works directly with farms to ensure the coffee is fairly traded under economically and environmentally sustainable conditions. Photo by Jeremy M. Lange
Fair Trade USA has changed its standards for fair trade coffee certification, pulling from the Fair Trade International model. Among the changes: expanding the criteria to include farms that are not part of a cooperative. My story’s focus explores the local perspective via Counter Culture and Carrboro Coffee Co. These two prominent Triangle, North Carolina roasters apply their own ethos, methods and certification to their product, with varying opinions on both the former and new certification standards. The issue itself, as well as other issues surrounding the coffee economy, is extremely complex. An interesting debate follows in the comments, so be sure to read them.
