We've all heard the saying, "What you see is what you get." Well, I'm going to coin the reverse of the phrase and say, "What you get is not always what you see." Confused yet? You will be. What you may be getting that you aren't seeing is higher quality coffee. There are many ways to define higher quality (none of which the industry can agree on). In this instance I am speaking of a higher ethical quality. Almost sounds like a "higher power," doesn't it? To some, it may as well be just that.

Let me introduce you to the "higher power" of Fair Trade. Fair Trade Coffee is a product for which the producers receive a living wage. A living wage means that farmers can feed their families, and their children can go to school instead of working in the fields. That wage may not seem like a large amount to those of us living comfortably in Indianapolis, but to the families who receive this wage it is of the highest value imaginable.

For me personally it is disappointing that many coffee consumers do not realize two aspects: what Fair Trade Certified (FTC) means and that FTC is not the end-all-be-all. FTC is a label guarantee that the producer received a fair trade amount of money for their coffee. What that label does not tell you is that in order for growers to receive FTC they, not the buyer, must pay membership fees. This can be very economically challenging for an independent family of growers, especially if they are just starting out and have many expenses and little or no income.

One way for growers to avoid the costly expense of Fair Trade Certified membership fees and still receive a comparable FTC price is to avoid dealing with high volume buyers and seek out lower volume buyers. To buy high quality coffees, some smaller roasters pay fair trade prices or better without the involvement of the third party expense, such as FTC. Such is the case with the Café Herbazu crop mentioned in last issue's article. For example, the Barrantes family has a personal relationship with Hubbard & Cravens, which allows the family to negotiate more than fair prices directly with the company.

Many smaller coffee shops carry several Fair Trade Certified coffees in order to satisfy the requests of those customers specifically looking for them. While it is greatly appreciated that customers seek out fair trade coffee, hopefully now they understand it is ethically acceptable to try other bean selections.