Fair Trade

Being fair trade is at the core of our business. For two decades, we have been active at coffee origin, building relationships with coffee farmers and cooperatives to improve the lives of coffee farmers, increase coffee quality standards, and to help implement sustainable farming practices at coffee origin.

Since 2001 we have been supporting coffee producers and their communities with funds.

We call it our Fair to Farmer Fund. Though this fund has gone through many iterations over the years, the principle has remained the same. We support our farmers by providing funding to projects at coffee origin.

Fair trade coffee costs a little bit more, but it goes a long way!

Many coffee farmers in the developing world don't receive a fair price for their crops. The commodity coffee market sometimes forces the coffee farmers to sell their crops below the cost of production, putting them in a cycle of poverty.

The premiums paid on fair trade coffee goes back to the coffee farmers and their communities in one or more of the following ways:

• New coffee farming kits - farming equipment, organic fertilizer and pesticides at a reduced price

• Upgrade existing farming equipment

• Supply of young coffee plants - either to start or expand their farm

• Funding for schools, health centres in the farming community

Next time you enjoy a Salt Spring Coffee, you can feel good about supporting our fair trade and organic farming partners at origin!