It seems that Starbucks is jumping on the Fair Trade bandwagon all over the world, and they recently have started serving Fair Trade cappuccinos and lattes in Ireland and the UK. They have chosen to offer 100% Fair Trade coffee that is certified within all of their espresso drinks, which means that any cappuccino, mocha, or latte that you order within your Starbucks visit in the UK and Ireland will be guaranteed 100% certified.
Just to clarify, Fair Trade is a method of coffee growing that guarantees all coffee farmers fair wages in their coffee production. This is incredibly important if you are a coffee lover because this method is necessary to ensure that farmers can adhere to a higher quality in their coffee production because their wages are guaranteed for them. Coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world, only second to oil, and there are many farmers that are pressured into serving subpar coffee beans due to supply and demand. When a farmer works under these certified standards, then you can count on the coffee being grown in a smaller environment where the quality is protected and cultivated to ensure that the beans will offer a premium flavor and taste. These standards also enable farmers to invest in programs in their communities, which enhances the coffee productivity in their economies as a whole. Read the rest of this entry »
