Fair Trade USA Reduces Fees for Coffee Roasters

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Fair Trade USA, the leading nonprofit certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States, recently introduced a new innovation strategy entitled Fair Trade for All. This bold new vision will double the impact of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee by 2015 and make Fair Trade more accessible to companies of all sizes. As a first step, Fair Trade USA is reducing its service fees across the board for coffee roasters and introducing improvements to its certification services.

Fair Trade for All (www.FairTradeforAll.com) builds on the momentum of the past 12 years to bring greater impact to farming communities and maximize market opportunities for producers. Through this effort, Fair Trade USA will unite NGO and industry partners to:

• Strengthen farming communities by investing in cooperatives and partnering with others to broaden and deepen the impact of Fair Trade;
• Innovate the Fair Trade model to include more people in more communities around the world;
• Ignite consumer involvement to increase awareness and sales in order to build the global Fair Trade movement.

Efforts to innovate the Fair Trade model are starting in coffee. Fair Trade USA has been conducting feasibility studies and plans to test more inclusive Fair Trade standards that will extend the benefits of Fair Trade to millions more farmers and workers, and provide businesses more Fair Trade Certified coffee supply options.

Additionally, as part of the new strategy, Fair Trade USA is reviewing all of its processes in order to improve customer service, and simplify and streamline its certification services, including:

• Reducing Fees for Coffee Roasters: Effective January 1^st, Fair Trade USA will lower fees for all roasters; make the first 20,000 pounds free; and reward those who source 95% or more of their coffee as Fair Trade Certified with the deepest savings. For more information about how this news benefits your business, or to source or sell Fair Trade Certified coffee, please contact us at [email protected].
• Improved Certification Services: Fair Trade USA also plans to improve its certification services for all partners. Efforts will include improving Fair Trade USA's reporting system (TARA), better communications regarding our efforts to protect the integrity of the Fair Trade Certified seal and enhanced annual impact reporting.

"Fair Trade USA's goal is to generate more impact for coffee farmers, so we're ensuring that our fees allow companies of all sizes to participate in Fair Trade," said Jennifer Gallegos, Director of Business Development for Coffee at Fair Trade USA. "We're excited to offer coffee roasters high-quality, cost-effective certification services that will encourage roasters to carry Fair Trade Certified coffee and grow their Fair Trade business."

Fair Trade USA (previously TransFair USA), a nonprofit organization, is the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. Fair Trade USA audits and certifies transactions between U.S. companies and their international suppliers to guarantee that the farmers and workers producing Fair Trade Certified™ goods were paid fair prices and wages, work in safe conditions, protect the environment, and receive community development funds to empower and uplift their communities. Fair Trade USA educates consumers, brings new manufacturers and retailers into the Fair Trade system, and provides farming communities with tools, training and resources to thrive as international businesspeople. Visit www.FairTradeUSA.org or www.FairTradeCertified.org for more information.

SOURCE Fair Trade USA