What is “fair trade”?

Fair-trade coffee pays growers a negotiated, pre-harvest price that is above the “street” price of coffee.  In turn, consumers may pay a slightly higher price for coffee that is certified fair trade, but they do so knowing that the farmers who produced it are more fairly compensated for their coffee than they previously had been.  This practice has greatly improved the well-being of coffee farmers around the world.


Why is only some of our coffee labeled “fair trade”?

Kapeh Utz often practices direct trade with farmers.  We are going one-step beyond fair trade and are working directly with small farmer cooperatives.  We pay these farmers a price beyond fair trade.  Direct trade coffee cannot be labeled as fair trade because it meets a different standard.  We believe it is a higher standard and well worth it.