How 'fair trade' relates to the environment

I've been thinking about coffee and wondering if my coffee beans of choice, Stumptown Organic Italian Roast, are fairly-traded. Yes, they are! Whew. My sense about the meaning behind 'fair trade' has always been about respect and value. That, say, U.S. coffee roasters have respectful relationships with overseas coffee growers by offering them fair prices for their goods. Most coffee growers live in impoverished areas in Latin America and Africa and work hard to grow their crops. You can imagine how easy it would be for U.S. roasters to offer the lowest price possible for coffee beans, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty in these areas. But what does this have to do with preserving the environment?

I turned to Beth Sethi's excellent fair trade store, Bambootique, for a little fair trade 101 education. She's written a few easily digestible paragraphs about fair trade on her blog that I encourage you to read. She writes:

Fair trade is not just good for people, it is good for the planet. In order to qualify for fair trade status products must be grown or produced in a way that is environmentally sustainable.

This doesn't mean that overseas producers have to grow their goods organically (unfortunately). But they do have to follow guidelines to minimize the impact on the environment, such as leaving virgin forests intact, minimizing use of chemicals, disposing of water and hazardous waste responsibly, etc.

Now, you're probably thinking, "Isn't it better for the environment and the US economy to support local producers?" Well, I'm no expert, but my sense is that in some cases, Yes, it is. But coffee and cocoa aren't grown in the U.S., however. And many local producers of clothing and accessories no doubt source their materials overseas. So, I think the answer is complicated. We live in a global economy, and I don't think that's going to change (which is good for us coffee and chocolate lovers). The important thing is to recognize that when you reach for that $8 pillar candle at Target, chances are it was not produced with the respect for people and the environment as the $8 fair trade pillar candle. That's where you can use your dollars to make a difference.