Anyone who likes to drink coffee will seldom simply blindly reach for the shelf and grab the next best coffee beans or any coffee powder. In addition to the preferred taste, other factors usually have to be right, for example that the coffee is Fairtrade. Because good conditions during cultivation and production are becoming more and more important to many. But when exactly is coffee “fair trade”? What do I have to look out for when buying – and what is the difference to coffee that does not have a Fairtrade seal?
Lennart Altscher is the founder of Roastclub, a provider that brings together various coffee manufacturers and sells their products. He says: Coffee with the Fairtrade seal can often be found on supermarket shelves or in world or organic shops. “As a buyer, you can be sure that the product has been traded fairly in accordance with the Fairtrade standards. Among other things, the producers of the green coffee receive a guaranteed minimum price regardless of the world market price and social premiums are paid for each pound of Arabica green coffee sold , which are invested in projects to increase productivity or quality.”
Karina Schneider, spokeswoman for coffee at Tchibo, adds on the subject of Fairtrade: “We use what we learn on site. To start joint projects and activities with Fairtrade and thus support the farmers in better cultivation and management. Behind all Fairtrade Products stand for people and their stories: With the Fairtrade code, customers can embark on a virtual journey – from the shelf in the supermarket to the producers in the growing countries.” For example, all Tchibo Barista coffees are Fairtrade certified. That’s becoming more and more important. You are also particularly sustainable if you prepare coffee at home in a fully automatic machine that produces little waste.
Altscher thinks that the fair trade approach can basically be rated as very positive. But he also says: “A coffee that bears the Fairtrade seal does not necessarily have a high taste quality. If you want to get your money’s worth in terms of taste and don’t want to ignore the social aspect, you will usually find small ones , regional coffee roasters his luck.” With so-called “specialty coffee”, which is of better quality than ordinary coffee from the supermarket, the contact between the roaster and the coffee producer is particularly transparent and direct. The prices are higher, but the quality is better.
Altscher goes on to explain: “Specialty coffee from local roasters hardly ever bears the Fairtrade seal, which does not mean, however, that it does not meet the criteria of fair trade: On the one hand, the roasters pay for their green coffee according to the Quality a significantly higher purchase price compared to the Fairtrade minimum price.” On the other hand, they would often maintain direct relationships with the coffee producers and convince themselves of the conditions on site in the coffee-growing countries. This trading model is referred to as “direct trade”. The subject of Fairtrade coffee is therefore more complex than initially assumed, according to the expert.
Overall, it is also becoming increasingly important for retailers to ensure transparency and to make it clear under which conditions the coffee that is offered was produced. The numbers in the Tchibo coffee report also make this clear:
Sources used: Tchibo coffee report / Roastclub
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