The Global Benefits of Fair Trade

Here’s what it means: Halfway around the world, cooperative endeavors are leading to increased income, nutrition and community health for villagers in Kapubaten, northern Sumatra, and Indonesia. Although formal co-ops are rare in Indonesia, a home-grown version called "Self-Reliance Groups" ("SRG's") parallels the form and function of the co-op. In Kapubaten, with support from Coffee Kids, coffee farmers and their families have formed SRG's to bring drinking water through pipelines to their village and homes. The SRG's have also taken advantage of technical assistance to raise alternative crops between the coffee rows for increased family nutrition and income generation.

Through Fair Trade, farmers and their families are earning a better income for their hard work -- allowing them to hold on to their land, keep their kids in school, and invest in the quality of their harvest -- so they can continue to grow excellent quality coffee for your morning brew.