A changing world. What is Fair Trade?

From Farm to Cup

I often get asked, "How did you get into coffee?" The real answer is that you don’t get into coffee—coffee gets into you.

In 2005, I attended a United Students for Fair Trade (USFT) conference in Denver, Colorado. At that conference, I met dozens of coffee farmers who shared how purchasing fairly traded coffee changed their lives and restored the integrity they felt they deserved. Since then, I’ve spent years studying and supporting the fair trade movement, demonstrating to consumers that their purchasing decisions can make a real impact on both people’s lives and the environment.

This blog isn’t about the challenges associated with fair trade certifications. Instead, it’s a reminder that the fair trade movement is alive and strong in those who believe in conscious consumer products that benefit both people and the planet.

Desert Sun Coffee Roasters is a proud member-owner of Cooperative Coffees, the only roaster-owned importing cooperative in North America. Cooperative Coffees was founded on the principle of building long-term partnerships with small-scale organic coffee farmers, ensuring they are paid a livable wage. But it doesn’t stop there. We often pay above fair trade minimum prices and reinvest in these communities, supporting projects that foster sustainability and resilience. Most of our farming partners own just a couple of acres of land. Through Cooperative Coffees, we help fund reforestation projects, build organic composting facilities, and facilitate producer exchanges—bringing farmers together from around the world to share best practices for organic farming, something virtually unprecedented in the industry.

This past year, coffee prices have reached record highs. As I talk with other roasters and read articles about coffee costing nearly double what it did a year ago, I hear the anxiety about how to price coffee appropriately for customers without jeopardizing business.

Meanwhile, I’ve just returned from a trip to Ethiopia, where conversations with farmers painted a different picture. Right now, farmers are receiving more money than they have in decades, offering hope that coffee farming can be a viable future for the next generation. With livable wages, farmers can invest in basic necessities that are often lacking due to gaps in government support, such as schools, bridges, and healthcare. Empowered and fairly compensated, these farmers are taking their futures into their own hands.

This year, fair trade premiums in Ethiopia funded projects like planting native trees, building and distributing energy-efficient stoves, researching climate-resilient coffee varieties, women’s empowerment initiatives, and local financing programs.

So, what is fair trade? It’s a movement—a collective effort by consumers, roasters, and farmers who believe in supporting the most vulnerable communities through fair compensation. It’s about knowing your farmer, understanding their struggles, and committing to their long-term success. It’s about spending time in their homes, sharing meals, and building genuine relationships. Fair trade means paying farmers more when market prices are low and, in turn, farmers offering to sell for less when market prices are high—because they believe in the partnership. It’s about working together for a better world.

All of this is possible through something as simple as drinking coffee and choosing to pay a couple of dollars more for a cup that truly changes lives.

After all these years, I’m reminded that Desert Sun is, at its heart, a fair trade organization. We will continue to do the right thing for those who take pride in producing the excellent coffee we all enjoy.

Thank you for being part of our journey and helping us brew a better future.