Fair Trade/Organic

Organic, Non-GMO, Sustainable, Farm-Raised, Free-Range… terms like these can often be pretty confusing for the average consumer. Some of these are simply marketing buzzwords, meant to entice you into buying a specific product, and some are legitimate designations that carry weight in the food industry. So let’s consider one designation imperative to the coffee industry: Fair Trade.

The Benefits

Fair trade products must be produced without the use of forced labor, and with wellness checks on the actual working conditions. No genetically modified crops or those raised through unsustainable methods may be labeled as Fair Trade. In order to entice farmers to grow their crops in this manner, there is a set floor price for Fair Trade goods. This means that the farmers are guaranteed to sell them for a certain amount of money, no matter what.

The most common Fair Trade goods are cocoa, bananas, tea, sugar, and of course – coffee.

Fair Trade is also good for the environment because the goods cannot be made using harmful agricultural techniques that have become common in some countries. Farmers that want to be certified must follow the proper guidelines in disposing of waste, reforesting, and conserving as much water as possible.

The Relationship Between Grower and Consumer

Fair Trade also ensures that the consumers of the coffee have a connection to the growers. Any coffee shop serving Fair Trade coffee also tend to know the countries and regions their coffee is coming from. Small farms are able to succeed and expand because of these key relationships, and Fair Trade ensures that the product is second-to-none.

These days we are seeing more certified Fair Trade coffee than ever before. But the U.S. still lags behind on overall money spent on Fair Trade goods (which is definitely something we need to work on). Individuals can up their own Fair Trade purchases, but larger businesses and corporations also need to embrace it for Fair Trade to really scale up.

Starbucks now sells a few Fair Trade coffees, and soon they hope to add even more to the menu. Companies like this that serve millions of cups of coffee a day can really make a difference in the lives of these Fair Trade farmers.

The Difficulties

Fair Trade is an amazing system, but not a perfect one. In order to facilitate the Fair Trade certification process, farms are allowed to submit themselves as a “producer network.” They are then analyzed together, rather than as separate farms so some less-than-perfect producers may slip under the ropes. The vast majority of Fair Trade coffee comes from reputable, hard-working farmers in the proper climates across the globe. So you don’t have to worry about getting a subpar product when buying something labeled Fair Trade.

What do you think about Fair Trade certified products? Do you think it’s worth trying to go out of your way to buy them? Let us know in the comments!

There are a lot of myths out there when it comes to coffee. Drink a cup in the afternoon and you’ll be up all night. Drink too much coffee and you’ll be dehydrated. Drink enough coffee and you’ll lose weight. Each and every one of them can be categorically proven false.

One of the most popular myth is that people who drink espresso risk overdosing on caffeine. After all, each one of those shots is said to have way more caffeine than a single cup of coffee, right?

Turns out that myth is busted too, thanks to Kicking Horse Coffee. They posted an e xposé on the subject and broke down exactly why espresso doesn’t necessarily have way more caffeine than coffee. The difference comes in how the caffeine is measured.

One Cup vs. One Shot

A cup of coffee is generally thought of at 12 ounces. A shot of espresso is just 2 ounces. Many people claim that a 2 ounce shot of espresso has more caffeine than a cup of coffee, but it really only has around 80 milligrams. One 12 ounces cup of coffee can have up to 120 milligrams of caffeine. So one cup of regular coffee will actually get you up and kicking quicker than that “extreme” espresso.

Let’s Get Voluminous

When compared by volume, the differences become more clear. Ounce per ounce, espresso is around 4 times as strong as coffee in terms of caffeine. So you’d have to drink 4 times as much coffee to get the same kick as espresso. So while a shot of espresso might actually have less caffeine than a cup of coffee, it hits you harder because of the smaller volume. It’s much easier to down a shot of espresso than it is to sip an entire coffee, right?

Why the Difference?

Caffeine is water-soluble and will be removed from the coffee during the brewing process. There are many things that can affect how much of the caffeine makes it into the final product, like the temperature, how long it’s brewed, how finely ground it is, and how saturated the coffee becomes. Hotter temperature, longer brew time, and a finer grind can all lead to higher concentrations of caffeine compared to the alternatives.

Espresso is made using a specialty machine that forces boiling water through the ground espresso beans at a rapid pace. The speed with which it works means it extracts more caffeine per ounce than regular drip coffee. Drip coffee machines let the water do its job more slowly and don’t force it through like the espresso machine.

Espresso beans themselves can be identified from regular coffee beans by their darker and more oily appearance. These beans have been roasted until the last possible point to bring out all those caramelly, bold flavors. The beans are ground much more finely than regular coffee beans, and they are packed down tight prior to brewing. The brew process only takes around 25-30 seconds, compared to the minutes it takes to make a regular cup of coffee.

So which type of coffee do you prefer for your morning caffeine rush? Share with us in the comments!