The International Coffee Day was created by the International Coffee Association to promote fair trade coffee and raise awareness of the challenges faced by coffee growers. It aims to establish an annual event to bring attention to issues like ensuring fair prices for small coffee farmers. Fair trade coffee aims to develop ethical trade relationships that guarantee fair pricing to producers who would otherwise lack access to fair markets. It focuses on social justice more than coffee quality.

1. International
Coffee Day
By
www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org

2. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
The first International Coffee Day was
October 1, 2015.

3. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
Sponsored by the International Coffee
Association this day is meant to promote fair
trade coffee and raise awareness of the
plight of coffee growers.

4. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
The promoters hope to make this a yearly
event.

5. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
Your favorite coffee shop may offer free
cups of coffee but don’t expect to get your
most fancy coffee house coffee for free!

6. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
Since the focus of the day is fair trade
coffee, just what is that?

7. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
Fair Trade Coffee

8. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
What is fair trade coffee? Years ago we
wrote this:

9. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
Is fair trade coffee the same as healthy organic
coffee? How does fair trade coffee differ from
organic coffee and when are they the same
thing? The original motive behind fair trade
coffee was to develop coffee trade relationships
based on respect, transparency, and dialogue
between producers and sellers. The point is to
guarantee fair prices to small coffee growers
who would otherwise have no access to fair
pricing.

10. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
At its heart fair trade coffee is an idea for
social betterment more so than a way to
make better coffee. There is a “Fairtrade”
coffee brand for which coffee packers pay a
fee, a “Fairtrade” logo and brand name.
Coffee carrying this name must come from
an associated cooperative. In general
cooperatives only sell part of their harvest
as fair trade coffee because of lack of
demand.

11. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
Demand, Certification
and Cost

12. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
One of the premier coffee growers in
Panama grows coffee that is organic in all
respects except the name.

13. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
The grower in question paid Bio Latina to
certify his coffee on behalf of the USDA.

14. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
If your organic coffee originated in Latin
America it is likely that it was subject to Bio
Latina organic coffee certification. Bio Latina
is located in Lima, Peru. The company
certifies farms, ranches, and forests for
sustainable practices on behalf of
organizations throughout the world.

15. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
Bio Latina certifies in Bolivia, Peru,
Colombia, Nicaragua and Venezuela as well
as in Panamá, Honduras, Guatemala, El
Salvador Ecuador and Mexico. The label on
a bag of healthy organic coffee from Latin
America may say that it is USDA certified.
However, it may be Bio Latina organic
coffee certification on behalf of the USDA
that guarantees a pure cup of organic
coffee.

16. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
And the grower in question paid the required
fee for three years.

17. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
And he never sold any more coffee and
never was able to charge any more for his
coffee.

18. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
After three years this well-known Panama
coffee grower continued to make the great
Panama Mountain Grown Organic Coffee
that he always did, but without the
certification.

19. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
Our point is that the same situation exists
with fair trade coffee.

20. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
The value of International Coffee Day is to
increase awareness of the situation and
encourage coffee drinkers to specify Fair
Trade when they purchase at the coffee
shop and look for fair trade when they visit
the coffee roaster.

21. http://buyorganiccoffee.org/1489/international-
coffee-day/
Fair trade coffees are typically of very high
quality and usually organic in practice even
if they are not officially certified as such.