Specialty Coffee

There are more than a few reasons to consider Fair Trade coffee. Coffee is the second largest world wide commodity. Specialty coffee is a growing segment of the coffee market at a growth rate in excess of 27% a year. Various themes contribute to the specialty coffee growth. Some are environmental initiatives promoting the natural shade grown process beneath the canopy of the much needed rain forest. Another is the freedom from pesticides that linger in the bean and contaminate the food chain. The quality alone of these hand picked higher mountain beans drives the consumer demand for a significantly better taste. As an investment, a growth industry with spectacularly increasing market share represents an uncommon opportunity for venture capital. The largest initiative surprisingly comes from the social consciousness of fair trade pricing, paid to the small mountain farmers, who cultivate these choice coffee cherries; they collect their harvest in local cooperativas. The importer pays the farmer more nearly what the product is worth and at the same time imports the best beans. The Earth Friendly Foundation works to facilitate the Fair Trade and the venture capital necessary to inventory and market these choice specialty coffees.