People may know that organic coffee is better for the environment, but many do not fully comprehend why it also benefits farmers who grow the beans. Organic and fair trade coffee purchases can be seen as similar to buying grass-fed beef from your local farm-to-table restaurant over fast food joints; though more costly, this approach gives more insight into where your food originates and its production process.

Organic coffee is produced without using unnatural pesticides or fertilizers, with crops typically being grown under a canopy of trees to provide shade from sunlight and protect them. These practices help preserve the environment in coffee producing regions while keeping soil health intact and preventing harmful chemicals from leaching into water supplies.

Farmer who produce organic coffee must adhere to stringent guidelines when picking, roasting and grinding (if not whole bean) their beans – such as following strict protocols on how it should be handled and processed to prevent cross-contamination issues.

Organic certification requires farmers to demonstrate they’re only using organic fertilizers that do not pollute the environment with synthetic chemicals, while keeping separate plots with clear boundaries and buffer zones from other non-organic farms nearby.

Fair trade coffee stands apart from its organic certification counterpart in that its primary objective is to improve the lives of farmers and their communities through fair prices and development projects. These could range from helping families pay school tuition fees, or providing clean drinking water, all the way through to supporting families during times of hardship.

Fairtrade coffee prices may fluctuate widely, yet Fairtrade ensures that farmers receive a minimum price to cover costs – helping them remain financially stable even during slumps and investing in community development or agricultural improvements.

One reason that people purchase organic fair trade coffee is to support sustainable farming practices in developing nations where poverty is prevalent. Coffee is the second-most traded international commodity after oil and could help lift millions out of poverty by paying higher wages to those who cultivate it.

While organic and fair trade coffee have many other advantages, these three are among the main ones. When searching for coffee that fulfills all three purposes at once, look for labels such as Fair Trade or Rain Forest Alliance for products with multiple advantages; you’ll support sustainable farmers while protecting the environment! Plus: the more coffee you purchase will have a bigger impact!