Specialty Coffee and Fair Trade
When considering the origin of coffee, two terms frequently appear: specialty coffee and fair trade coffee. While these two approaches share certain values, they do not represent the same reality. Understanding their differences allows you to better choose based on your expectations in terms of quality and ethics.
Fair trade: a remuneration-focused approach
Fair Trade is a certification system created to guarantee a minimum price to producers, regardless of fluctuations in the global coffee market. It aims to:
- Ensuring fair remuneration for farmers
- Support community projects and local development initiatives
- Promoting more sustainable agricultural practices
Fairtrade-certified coffee can come from batches that vary greatly in terms of taste. The primary objective is not to guarantee a level of aromatic excellence, but to ensure fairer economic and social conditions.
Specialty coffee: a requirement for taste quality and traceability
Specialty coffee is evaluated primarily based on cup quality. A coffee is considered specialty if it scores above 80/100 during a professional cupping. This approach prioritizes:
- Aromatic quality (cleanliness, complexity, balance)
- Traceability back to the farm or micro-region
- The care taken at each stage: manual harvesting, meticulous processing, adapted roasting
In specialty coffee, respect for producers and fair pay are often integrated, but without necessarily going through formal certification.
The main differences
Fair trade is based on a label and specifications that guarantee a minimum price, with or without specific requirements regarding taste quality. Specialty coffee is based on recognition of the quality of the final product, combined with higher remuneration for producers, but based on the pursuit of excellence.
In other words, fair trade coffee doesn't necessarily mean exceptional coffee in the cup. Specialty coffee is necessarily the result of careful processing, often with an ethical commitment, even without fair trade certification.
Can we reconcile the two?
Yes, some specialty coffees may also be certified fair trade or from sustainable development programs. However, the majority of specialty coffees operate outside of traditional certification channels, through direct relationships between producers, importers, and roasters.
Conclusion
Fair trade and specialty coffee share a commitment to respecting producers, but their priorities differ. The former guarantees fairer economic conditions; the latter prioritizes taste quality above all else, often ensuring fair pay. Understanding this distinction allows you to choose a coffee that aligns with your values and taste expectations.
