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Everyone loves coffee. It's that magical drink that gives us the 'get up and go' caffeine boost in the morning that we need in order to tackle every day. What's not to love? However, when we buy coffee it's also important that we make sure it's ethically sourced and produced to the right standards.

If coffee is fair trade, this means it has been produced to fair trade standards and actively contributes to sustainable development of bean farmers. It means they have been paid a fair wage and the ingredients are environmentally sourced.

Fair trade is an important concept within the industry, so much so that everyone from Starbucks to independent retailers such as makawaoroasting.com/ are embracing the change. Fair trade coffee can cost a little more than coffee that is sourced by other means, but here are 5 reasons why you should pay the extra penny and go fair trade.

1. Fair Trade Coffee Supports Environmental Stability

Fair trade coffee supports organic practices that reduce the use of harmful agrochemicals, toxic pesticides, and other chemicals that are detrimental to the environment. Farmers involved in harvesting the beans also use sustainable production methods to ensure that the natural environment the beans have grown in is not harmed. This allows them to farm for generations to come.

2. Buying Fair Trade Products Invests In The Local Community

Whenever you buy a fair trade product, a portion of your money goes back into the community in which it was made. For coffee manufacturers this can often be beneficial to small villages and towns that will greatly use the reinvestment. This money can often go towards local businesses in the community and other community projects. Fair trade producers can also offer help with specific developments within the community in which it is based, such as housing, education, healthcare and leadership training.

3. Fair Trade Products Ensure Workers Are Paid Fairly

While fair trade products do cost a little more, they have been priced fairly so that workers can receive a living wage. Fair Trade coffee is given a base price set by the International Fair Trade Labeling Organization, that ensures the businesses make enough money to adequately support their workers. This ensures that the workers have enough money to have access to food, shelter, medical care, and education.

4. Fair Trade Products Often Taste Better And Are Healthier For You

The mass production of coffee in factories have led to a decrease in quality in terms of the produce. Being as fair trade coffee is grown sustainably, it means it has been grown slower and without chemical fertilizers that alter the taste. The lack of fertilizers and chemicals in the pressing process also allows the coffee beans to keep all of their nutrients.

Growing coffee organically also means that vital nutrients are kept in the product's soil. These nutrients feed into the beans and greatly affect the taste. Being as fair trade coffee is often grown under rain forest canopy, there is always a base of nutrients in the coffees soil. This means the base of nutrients is never fully depleted as is the case on other coffee farms that operate outside of the rainforest.

5. Fair Trade Products Help Sustain The Local Biodoversity

Some coffee practices can rob local animals of their natural habitat, however this isn't the case with fair trade coffee. Fair Trade coffee organizations ensure that the local biodiversity is preserved and largely unaffected by their presence. In fact some plantations even show an increase in wildlife, due to their dedication to the preservation of animals natural habitats.