If you’re looking for fair trade coffee brands to purchase from, this is a list of a few brands that exclusively sell fair trade coffee.
Feel good about each cup of coffee you drink!
While there are many coffee companies out there that sell one or two single origin or blends, these brands we’re listing here are exclusively fair trade.
Some links found in this post are affiliate links, meaning we may receive a commission if you decide to make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Fair trade coffee brands
Below I’ve listed a few fair trade coffee brands. Most have fair trade certifications from fair trade organizations.
And while these certifications hold a high standard, you’ll see some of these brands go beyond what is required to gain the seal.
Here are 10 brands to put on your radar:
1. Equal Exchange
Equal Exchange is employee owned. 100% of their coffee is fair trade and also their line of chocolate, tea, baking products and nuts.
They consider their fair trade model as an authentic fair trade system as other certification organizations have started to lower their standards for labeling a product as fair trade. You can help support authentic fair trade by purchasing Equal Exchange coffee.
Try their Organic French Roast, a chocolatey coffee with a subtle smokey flavor – one of their best sellers.
2. Singing Rooster
Singing Rooster works with farmers in Haiti to bring fair trade coffee from Haiti to the world (in addition to chocolate and art!)
They are members of the Fair Trade Federation but go even further than just meeting the requirements. Singing Rooster partners with the producers as agricultural and business consultants and organizers of pre harvest financing among other things. Plus, all proceeds from the sale of their products are used to continue growing the business for the farmers.
Try Cuckoo-Roo, a “velvety chocolate body with natural fruity flavors.”
3. Kicking Horse Coffee
Kicking Horse Coffee is Canada’s #1 selling organic and certified fair trade coffee. Their coffee has been certified fair trade since almost the beginning of the company’s story when Elana Rosenfeld and Leo Johnson started roasting coffee in their garage.
Today, 100% of their coffee is certified organic and certified fair trade coffee. They have a cafe in Invermere where you can try their coffee, or purchase it on Amazon.
Try SmartAss, a medium roast with notes of red currant, sugar cane and milk chocolate.
4. Laughing Man
Laughing Man Coffee Company was founded by actor Hugh Jackman and started when he traveled to Ethiopia and met a coffee farmer named Dukale.
He opened the Laughing Man Cafe (there are two in Manhattan!) and donates all profits back to the Laughing Man Foundation, to fund projects like a housing improvement project and providing college scholarships. All Laughing Man coffee is Fair Trade Certified.
Try Dukale’s Blend, named after the man who inspired the company.
5. Higher Grounds Coffee
Higher Grounds Coffee started when co-founder Chris Treter met José Perez Vazquez, who became Higher Grounds’ first farmer-partner. Their model for their 100% fair trade coffee is a human-centric approach.
They visit the farms they get their coffee from, meet with the growers and form a partnership and they also donate a portion of their sales to their partner nonprofit, which empowers coffee farming communities.
Try Funky Mamacita, an organic medium-dark roast blend.
6. Peace Coffee
Peace Coffee began as a nonprofit for helping American Farmers called the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy. Eventually, the organization started farmers in Mexico, which included coffee farmers who were not getting paid fair wages from coffee importers.
So Peace Coffee was born when IATP started bringing coffee back to the US in 1996. Today, all their coffee is 100% fair trade and organic.
Start your day with Birchwood, a medium roast breakfast blend.
7. Larry’s Coffee
Larry’s Coffee is a certified B-Corporation and exclusively sells fair trade, organic and shade grown coffee. They are one of the founding members of Cooperative Coffees, a green coffee importing cooperative that imports directly from partner farmers. (Higher Grounds and Peace Coffee are also part of this collective.)
Larry’s Coffee’s roasting facility is also super eco friendly. They use natural daylighting to save energy, solar collectors to heat the floors and have multiple rainwater tanks.
Try their organic Secret Espresso #17 for your next shots of espresso.
8. Ethical Bean
Ethical Bean coffee started when co-founders Lloyd and Kim spent lots of time and learned about coffee in Guatemala, while waiting to adopt their daughter.
Their coffee is 100% fair trade certified, where farmers are paid fairly and also receive additional funds back to support their communities.
Each bag of coffee has a unique QR code to trace where your coffee comes from.
Try their Classic Medium Roast.
9. Rise Up Coffee
Rise Up is an independent, small batch coffee roaster that started as a coffee trailer serving coffee in a parking lot.
They roast only certified organic and fair trade coffee, which ensure that farmers are paid fairly and money can be reinvested back into their communities. Meanwhile, the coffee is grown using traditional techniques, without the use of pesticides.
Try their Organic House Roast, their flagship coffee.
10. Mount Hagen
Mount Hagen started in 1986, as one of the pioneers of organic coffee. All of Mount Hagen’s coffee from Papua New Guinea is fair trade, organic and grown under shade trees.
This also includes their instant coffee. So if you’re looking for an instant coffee that’s fair trade, get Mount Hagen’s freeze dried instant coffee.
What is fair trade coffee?
Fair trade is a movement that, according to fairtradecampaigns.org, ensures that the products that consumers are purchasing were “grown, harvested, crafted and traded in ways that improve lives and protect the environment.”
This is achieved through developing equitable trading partnerships and puts the people who make the products first. In the case of coffee, these people are the coffee farmers and workers. It includes protecting workers’ rights and supporting and giving back to the communities.
One way to tell if the coffee you’re buying is fair trade is if the company is fair trade certified through an organization. There are a few of them:
- Fair Trade USA
- Fairtrade America
- Fair For Life
- Fair Trade Federation
For me, I check the brand’s about pages and stories and see what they stand for to truly get a feel for how they view fair trade and the production of their coffee beans because some brands as you’ve seen above, do not believe in attaining the certifications but are clearly doing an exceptional job to ensure their coffee is produced fairly while benefiting the farmers and their communities.
Read Equal Exchange’s page about authentic fair trade.
Fair trade vs organic coffee?
The majority of these coffee brands sell both fair trade and organic coffees.
Organic refers to how the coffee is grown. To be organic, it is grown and produced without pesticides.
Meanwhile, fair trade refers to the people who are making the coffee. When you purchase fair trade, you know workers’ rights were protected and they were paid fairly.
What is Bird Friendly Coffee?
When purchasing fair trade coffee, you may come across Bird Friendly Coffee. This is a certification started by Smithsonian scientists to preserve bird habitats, which are frequently destroyed to grow coffee.
They also ensure the coffee is grown without harmful pesticides and fertilizers. Coffee farms that are Bird Friendly grow their coffee underneath shade trees, which also helps fight climate change in addition to providing habitats for birds. (Source: Smithsonian)
Try a premium dark roast (whole bean) from Tomorrow’s Coffee, which is certified organic, fair trade and packaged in omni degradable bags (decomposes faster than average coffee bags.)
