Fair Trade for Every Season
Posted by Wendy on 23 Oct 2008 at 7:00 am | Tagged as: Fair Trade
I gave a bag of coffee to a friend of mine recently as a housewarming gift. She took one look at it and said “Do you have anything that’s Fair Trade?”
I confess, before I started working for Green Mountain Coffee, I didn’t understand what Fair Trade (FT) meant exactly. Even when I settled on FT Organic Espresso as my coffee of choice, the fact that it’s Fair Trade had no impact on my decision whatsoever. But now that I know what it means and how it impacts the lives of those who grow our coffee beans, I get even more satisfaction out of my morning cup.
One category of coffee that’s exclusively Fair Trade is our Limited Edition Seasonal coffees. Three years ago, GMC decided to make the seasonal coffees Fair Trade across the board. The idea was to grow awareness of Fair Trade to more coffee lovers like you so that we could expand our FT market and ultimately make a difference in more farmers’ lives. Why seasonals? Well, I don’t know about you, but when I see “available for a limited time”, I’ve got to have it right now, and lots of it. What better way to introduce Fair Trade to as many people as possible who will not only anxiously await the next arrival, but will stock up? It’s true, even through our current economic situation, folks are ordering cases (yes, cases) of Pumpkin Spice before it’s gone. Maybe they’re depending on the aroma of mom’s pumpkin pie to get them through the tough times. Either way, it means coffee farmers are getting a better life.
Is your favorite coffee among our Seasonals? If so, I’m curious. Was it because it was the socially responsible choice, or because you associate its aroma or name with a different time or place, or simply because you like the taste? What I love about the Seasonals is that, no matter what your reason, there’s a seasonal coffee that you can call your own. My second favorite coffee would have to be FT Organic Joyful Season Blend (available mid-November) because a) it’s Fair Trade; b) it’s organic; and c) I love the holidays. So much so, in fact, my Christmas tree stayed up until August one year. Apparently I have a problem with letting go. So if you’re wondering if I replaced the housewarming gift with a Fair Trade coffee … you betcha. If it helps coffee farmers survive, and thrive, in light of their long-standing economic troubles, shouldn’t everyone get Fair Trade?
Fair Trade Island Coconut is my favorite, but to be completely honest, I too had no idea what “Fair Trade” was when I fell in love with it. (I have come to appreciate it for that quality though.) That coffee is magic, the way it transports you somewhere else when you drink it. It sounds so cheesey, but it’s so absolutely true. I try and stock up for the year while it’s available, but it NEVER lasts.
After having said that, and having read this post, I think I realize exactly why it’s not available all year long…
…and i’ll never complain about that again.