Yes, actually much better. We have moved beyond a fair trade model to a sustainability through quality model. We pay vastly far and above the rates mandated by “fair trade” and find that model is not actually be advantageous for farmers nor actually a fair trade. We pay 4, 5, 6, 7 times (and much more!) the rate mandated by fair trade for specialty coffees. We see many farmers working on improving their quality to move into the specialty coffee model because the honest truth is that it is much more sustainable for them and can actually provide a living wage.
