‘Fairtrade’ and ‘Social Responsibility’ have become far more than just trendy buzzwords among the environmentally conscious. Even in South Africa, more and more consumers are questioning where products are grown or made, and by whom.

Coffee is just one example, but given that many of the regions in which it is grown and produced have suffered the consequences of war, famine or bad governance it is perhaps one of the most important.

Countries like Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Brazil are blessed with the ideal altitude and climate to produce some of the world’s finest coffees, yet in many regions farmers are exploited by unethical trading practices and forced to accept very low prices.

This is where Fairtrade comes in. Fairtrade certification is designed to help consumers identify products that meet minimum environmental, labour and developmental criteria. Independent auditing of producers ensures that these standards are met and companies that comply may then apply for a Fairtrade Certification Mark.

However, it seems that currently this certification is only available to co-operatives of small farms. Individual family-run farms and plantations are excluded, perhaps due in part to lack of skills and finance – certainly something that needs to be addressed by Fairtrade authorities. In its 7 December 2006 issue, Economist magazine raised these concerns, maintaining that certification is predicated on political assumptions about labour organisation.

From the farmer to the mill, the transport company to the roaster, each participant in the process has a clearly defined and equally important role to play, yet roasters tend to buy from brokers through commodity markets, in a world where buyer and seller never meet.

It is only when all role players work together with transparency, commitment and without competing interests, that sustainable livelihoods in coffee-growing communities will be successfully achieved. For sourcing to be ethical, it must be targeted at the coffee growers.

Anyone who enjoys their coffee knows that producing a good quality coffee is a skill that deserves recognition and reward. Before buying coffee it is worth investigating where one’s favourite blend or single origin is sourced.