They're all really shakey these surveys. Selling exclusively Fairtrade doesn't make a company more ethical. Fairtrade is a very successful brand, they guarantee the NY commodity exchange price plus a bit to cooperatives that take part.
Highly quality focused independent roasters often wish to deal with individual farms rather than co-ops so they don't qulify for Fairtrade, also they can not afford to pay the massive fees to use the Fairtrade brand. Quality roasters will pay a price dependent on quality, sometimes at auction and regularly many times the baseline Fairtrade price.
There's not enough speciality coffee being grown to satisfy demand so prices are sky-rocketing. Simply adding a premium to the NYSE price regardless of quality is not a sustainable model. Paying a price according to the quality of the product ensures reinvestment in agricultural practices and workers' welfare without the need for an extra party dipping in to the pot.
Starbucks actually have a great welfare program and good buying practices and have probably done more to further the cause of coffee growers than anyone else. The bad guys are the ones who put their contracts out to tender, awarding the contract to the lowest bidder.
They're all really shakey these surveys. Selling exclusively Fairtrade doesn't make a company more ethical. Fairtrade is a very successful brand, they guarantee the NY commodity exchange price plus a bit to cooperatives that take part.
Highly quality focused independent roasters often wish to deal with individual farms rather than co-ops so they don't qulify for Fairtrade, also they can not afford to pay the massive fees to use the Fairtrade brand. Quality roasters will pay a price dependent on quality, sometimes at auction and regularly many times the baseline Fairtrade price.
There's not enough speciality coffee being grown to satisfy demand so prices are sky-rocketing. Simply adding a premium to the NYSE price regardless of quality is not a sustainable model. Paying a price according to the quality of the product ensures reinvestment in agricultural practices and workers' welfare without the need for an extra party dipping in to the pot.
Starbucks actually have a great welfare program and good buying practices and have probably done more to further the cause of coffee growers than anyone else. The bad guys are the ones who put their contracts out to tender, awarding the contract to the lowest bidder.