Good coffee comes freshly ground coffee beans that have been perfectly roasted. A good organic coffee bean can be grown in a sustainable manner. A clear conscience comes from knowing the beans have been sourced ethically and the proceeds have gone back to the farmer. It is possible for all these things to exist together.
The concept of Fair Trade goes back to the Dutch and protests about poor treatment in their trading colonies. Today the aim is to eliminate the middleman so that the farmer who grows the produce gets fair recompense for his efforts.
Some buyers have even gone so far as to pay part of their purchase in advance instead of waiting for delivery before paying. This is an attempt to keep farmers from needing to get loans between the coffee harvest through till time of payment.
There is a degree of natural allegiance between nations such as Peru and Vanuatu and organic farming methods. They tend to have low tech farming methods and the size of their farms. They therefore can not compete with major producers who have the volume monopolies. Instead organic coffee and other niche products are their natural focus.
Co-operatives are a common occurrence to allow an economic mass to be gathered. Sense of community is enhanced and it allows money to be directed back to the community for medical or educational purposes.
Making Fair Trade Organic Coffee an economic reality for some communities has lead to a decrease in the cultivation of drugs. Where these were once the only viable crop, coffee and good prices are driving farmers away from undesirable outputs.
Good coffee and ethical trading can work together.