Fair trade coffee

While the global coffee industry earns an estimated $60 billion annually, less than 10 percent of those earnings end up in the hands of coffee farmers. Because they’re often paid so poorly for their beans, many coffee farmers have had little choice but to abandon their lands or turn to slash-and-burn agriculture, cattle ranching or other environmentally devastating practices.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Rainforest Alliance certification gives farmers an economic incentive to farm sustainably. By providing them with the tools and techniques they need, the Rainforest Alliance helps farmers protect the integrity of their lands and ensure that their soils remain fertile, their waterways run clean and their workers are well-treated.

Farms that meet the standards for responsible production can earn the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal – the seal of sustainability. Achieving certification helps farmers to reach new markets, negotiate better prices, improve their access to credit and earn a premium on their beans, which they can use to invest in a more economically secure future.