Fairtrade

It is human nature that if you are properly and fairly treated you go about your business with a cheery smile and a whistle and a determination to give your best.

The Fairtrade Mark is more than a badge of hope for farmers in the developing world - it shows our commitment to paying coffee growers in particular a fair and proper price for their hard won crops. This can be 3 times more than free market prices.

The growers also receive a premium that they can invest in community projects.

Farmers who get a better deal on their crops can properly husband their land and resources. By putting a lot of care into their crops and the forests that sustain them they are also helping to care for the environment.

Sourcing coffee beans from these small farms and communities means that Percol can consistently bring you coffees of distinctive character and the highest levels of quality.

As a pioneer of Fairtrade in the UK, Percol is very proud of its Fairtrade certified coffee. Percol Fairtrade Nicaragua Ground Coffee was one of the first Fairtrade Roast and Ground coffees in the UK and his since won 3 top taste awards.

One of the Percol Fairtrade success stories - making a positive difference in Colombia

The raw coffee for Percol Fairtrade Colombia Freeze Dried Coffee is grown, harvested, washed and sun dried by the communities of the Pinipay and Pipinta regions, small and environmental friendly villages located in the Andean slopes close to the capital Bogota. These are farming areas that adhere to the standards set out by Fairtrade, Labeling Organizations International.

In 2004 these communities specifically benefited from the premium earned from selling their Fairtrade coffee beans to Percol. The focus has been on improving organic farming processes and also improving the lives of the families who live in these communities. The premium has actually made a positive difference to 80 farming families. Crop management has been improved, as have other farming methods, so that families can maximize their resources and maintain sustainable systems for the production of high quality coffee beans.

Out of the 80 families whose lives have been improved, 20 of those families who are members of the Co-operatives have had their homes improved over the last 12 months, allowing them to peacefully enjoy a better standard of life.

For more information on Fairtrade visit www.fairtrade.org.uk