Fair Trade and Organic Coffee

Coffee with a conscience

There's been a lot in the press lately about organic and Fair Trade-certified coffees. According to an excellent article on TheNibble.com, coffee is a "heavily sprayed" crop, meaning that its production typically involves a significant amount of pesticides. Organic coffee is certified to have been grown without the use of such chemicals. In order for coffee to be certified as Fair Trade, it must meet a set of parameters set by the Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International and the U.S. governing body, TransFair USA. In short, the coffee must be produced by small, individually owned coffee farms, and companies buying the beans must pay more than a set minimum per pound for beans. Producers must run farms democratically and be committed to sustainable agricultural and environmental practices. Many Fair Trade coffees are also organic.

While it is becoming easier to find Fair Trade-certified coffee, it is still not as widely available for those without access to health-food stores or specialty supermarkets like Whole Foods. However, most Fair Trade-certified brands are available online. The major coffee reviewers, like ConsumerReports.org and Cook's Illustrated magazine, don't focus on Fair Trade coffee, so it's more difficult to determine a reviewer consensus for this type of coffee. However, we did find some short reports at TheNibble.com and Delicious Living magazine that test these specialty coffees.

One easy-to-find brand is Newman's Own coffee, which is actually roasted by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Newman's Own Organics Nell's Breakfast Blend (*Est. $8.50 for 10 oz.) gets good scores in three taste tests; it's both Fair Trade-certified and organic, plus it's less expensive than some specialty brands.

Several smaller companies are going beyond Fair Trade-certified and organic roasts, aiming to improve working conditions, protect the environment in the country where coffee is grown, or other support other social causes.

One example is Organic Cafe Femenino (*Est. $10 for 12 oz.) from Utah-based Caffe Ibis. Not only is this medium-roast coffee Fair Trade and organic, but it's also certified as a Smithsonian Shade Grown Coffee. This certification applies to farms that grow coffee in the shade under natural covering, which preserves habitats for native birds. Caffe Ibis' Organic Cafe Femenino is sourced from woman-owned and operated coffee farms in Peru. The Cafe Femenino is available online at CaffeIbis.com and at select natural-food stores.

Out of 24 Fair Trade and organic coffees tested by TheNibble.com, only six are recommended, including the Caffe Ibis Organic Cafe Femenino. While the testing details are not thoroughly explained, editors say the Cafe Femenino has complex flavors and is delicious even without milk or sugar. They describe the flavor as "lighter-bodied American style." The Cafe Femenino also receives an Editors' Choice award from Delicious Living magazine, where testers say the coffee is smooth and flavorful.

Kickapoo Coffee, a Wisconsin-based coffee roaster, earns high marks for its Organic Colombia roast (*Est. $13 for 12 oz.) in one independent test from a major consumer organization. The Organic Colombia coffee is a medium roast that is sourced from farmers in the Western Cauca region of Colombia. It is certified organic and the manufacturer claims it to be Fair Trade, although it's not certified by TransFair USA. Kenneth Davids at CoffeeReview.com gives the Organic Colombia a very high score of 92 out of 100 in a blind test. Davids defines it as having a complex flavor with notes of citrus, lavender and honey. Overall, he calls it a "a refined, sweet, floral-toned cup."

CoffeeReview.com also conducts a test of 46 Fair Trade-certified coffees, in which Green Mountain Organic Ethiopia Yirgacheffe (*Est. $8.50 for 10 oz.) is the top scorer with a rating of 94 out of 100. This coffee is also highly rated in an older article at TheNibble.com, which declares Green Mountain Yirgacheffe a favorite coffee. This medium-roast coffee is available ground or as whole beans, and it is certified organic and Fair Trade. Kenneth Davids says Green Mountain's Ethiopia Yirgacheffe produces a balanced, rich aroma with floral and chocolate flavors. Overall, he calls it "unusually poised."

There are hundreds of boutique coffees from small roasters, and while covering all of them is outside the scope of this report, that's where you'll find a wide variety of organic and Fair Trade-certified coffees.