Fair Trade Coffee
The Fairtrade Mark is a certification label awarded to products sourced from developing countries that meet internationally recognised standards of fair trade. Bewley’s has been awarded this prestigious mark.
By participating in Fairtrade, producers are able to use the additional income to strengthen their organisations and invest in social, environmental and business improvements. Just as importantly, they are able to learn more about markets and marketing, and take more control of their lives.
To learn more about the specific issues related to Fairtrade and coffee, download the ‘Spilling the beans’ article produced by the ©Fairtrade Foundation (904KB PDF file) or visit their website at www.fairtrade.org.uk
Organic produce
Organic coffees are grown without the use of the dangerous chemical pesticides and fertilizers that are commonly used on large, commercial plantations. The high altitudes at which coffee is generally grown only increases the amount of damage that these chemicals cause to the water supply of everyone downhill.
Organic coffees are generally grown on small, family owned farms and under diversified shade cover, the natural habitat of hundreds of species of migratory song birds. These bird populations act as a natural defence against many of the bugs and pests that can ruin a coffee crop.
In addition, the premium price that these hand picked coffees demand allows generations of workers a stable monetary return for their labour, despite the ever-changing price of coffee on Wall Street.