It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Has Bean Coffee. From time to time, I'm asked about whether their coffees are "fair trade". In this day and age when information is so much more freely available, there's a welcome movement - which Christians have been at the forefront of - to make sure that we shop in ethical ways. The price we pay for goods matters; the way workers are treated matters.
The Fair Trade Foundation provides one way to pursue that goal. But only one. It would be a mistake to conclude that only goods with the Fair Trade mark (capital F, capital T) are fairly traded (lower-case F and T). Fair Trade is one brand, whose brand-value includes the notion of fair trade as a principle.
Much of the coffee at Has Bean Coffee is what Steve (the proprietor) terms "Direct Trade". What does that mean you ask. Well, they've put up a snazzy video to answer exactly that question. Go have a look:
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Refreshing
It's always refreshing to come across businesses that are not only interested in capital gain and live by a higher standard. Thanks :)
Although he's changed tack
Indeed (assuming you're talking about Steve's business, linked to in my post).
Although, interestingly, if you click through to the Fairer than That website, he's changed tack considerably.
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