Fair Trade verses Free Trade Free trade allows the open, free market to determine who will succeed. Results? With no guidelines, the poor and disenfranchised often get left behind. Coffee farmers are typically some of the poorest people on the planet. We expect them to grow the most fragrant and delicious coffee and then individually pick each ripe coffee cherry by hand. In the end, they are rarely paid a living wage for these efforts. Cooperative Coffees develops direct relationships with partner-producers based on fairness and an open exchange of information. Fair Trade guarantees these folks a livable, fair wage. If the international coffee market price for a pound of coffee goes below this fair trade price (which it often does), we pay the farmers the higher fair trade price. If the coffee market goes above the fair trade price, the farmer gets the higher price.

Fair-Trade Principles For Example: Fair-Trade Coffee
Sustainable coffee should be as organic as possible, shade-grown, and fair trade. Fair-trade coffee means that a bottom price per pound is set to insure farmers an income from growing coffee. If the coffee market in New York goes below that price, the farmers growing fair-trade coffee will still get that floor price. If coffee goes above the set price (currently $1.50/lb), the farmer will get the higher price. So the farmers are protected on the lower end of the market.
We believe in fair-trade coffee and believe it is the future of the coffee industry. If farmers can’t make a decent living growing coffee, they will grow other crops. So fair-trade coffee helps insure we’ll still be able to buy great coffees next year and the year after. And it’s the right thing to do. Coffee farmers are some of the poorest people on the planet.
A unique business venture called Cooperative Coffees, Inc., (of which Heine Brothers' Coffee ,Louisville,is a member) has recently organized to import green coffee purchased from and in partnership with small-scale farmer cooperatives. In addition to making the importing process more efficient, the Cooperative will engage in Fair Trade Practices that support the producing partners.
Here are  the basic principles of Fair Trade that Cooperative Coffees, Inc adhere to:
•    Farmers are guaranteed a minimum "fair-trade price"  for their coffee. For example if the world price rises above $1.50, farmers will be paid a small (5 cents per pound) premium above market price.
•    Coffee importers provide credit to farmers against future sales, helping farmers stay out of debt to local coffee "coyotes," who charge unsound rates of interest.
•    Importers and roasters agree to develop direct, long-term trade relationships with producer groups, thereby cutting out middlemen and bringing greater commercial stability to the community. Thanks to: http://www.heinebroscoffee.com/wcontents.htm

Sources of Fair Trade Products In Louisville

Just Creations

Heine Brothers Coffee

Elsewhere in Kentucky

Peace Craft (Berea)

Internet Sources

Ten Thousand Villages

A Greater Gift

World of Good

Equal Exchange

Global Exchange

Marketplace India

Fair Indigo

You can find other retail fair trade outlets on the Fair Trade Federation website -