Publication

The full article was published in the Journal of Fair Trade Volume 7, Issue 1, May 2026. It can be viewed at https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/jfairtrade.7.1.0004

Authors

Abstract

Can free trade be Fair Trade? We use a systemic approach to look at society in terms of community, governance and the market. For these three to work well together, we need to value feelings, analysis and facts.

The feelings and beliefs of the community are the basis of ethics, rational analysis should be the basis of political negotiation; and facts about market outcomes are necessary to make sensible decisions about how the market (and other social institutions) should work.

In the case of the market, it is not enough to say that if traders are allowed to act freely everything will work out for the best. If the fortunate are granted freedom to act, there must also be freedom from poverty, injustice and environmental harm for everyone. Only when the market offers freedom from … as well as freedom to … does free trade become Fair Trade.

On Saturday 28th April 2026, Fairtrade Foundation joined the Together Alliance and half a million people marching through central London to show that unity is stronger than division.

The Fairtrade Foundation believes in a world that is fair, inclusive and rooted in justice, both here in the UK and for the people across the world that grow the food we rely on every day.

“Before you finish eating breakfast in the morning, you’ve depended on more than half the world.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

Whether you buy Fairtrade or take part in their campaigns, your support helps create a fairer, more united world. Please add your name to the petition calling on the government to back the people behind our food.

Around the world, the people who grow, pick, stitch and make the things we buy are facing the same challenges: unfair pay, unsafe working conditions, and a climate crisis threatening their livelihoods. Fairtrade exists to change this, and to push for the rules that make fairness the norm, not the exception.

When we listen to producers and farmers, what we hear is clear, fairness breaks down in three key places:

People – rights and safety at work
Planet – protecting the land producers depend on
Pay – earning enough to live well and plan for the future

That’s why our 2026 focus is simple: People. Planet. Pay. Do it Fair.

Demand business that’s fair to people and planet by signing the Fairtrade Foundation petition in as quick as 60 seconds.

What needs to happen now?

The UK government are currently reviewing its approach to responsible business, a rare, once‑in‑a‑decade opportunity to close gaps in the law – and prevent harm before it happens, not after. Farmers and workers can’t afford for this moment to be missed. Help us demand business that’s fair to people and planet. Too often farmers and workers are undercut by businesses that are failing to pay fair wages, protecting workers, and safeguarding the environment. We can change this – stand with producers, farmers and workers around the world.

This innovative and entrepreneurial Guernsey sea captain who brought the very first consignment of Costa Rican coffee to St Katherines’ Dock, London in 1864. He is venerated as a hero in Costa Rica for his wide-ranging humanitarian and educational work.

Keep an eye out for news later this year of Wycombe for Fairtrade involvement in some special celebrations on this history.

This 2 minute ITV news video gives an excellent overview:
https://www.itv.com/watch/news/the-19th-century-guernsey-sea-captain-who-helped-build-costa-rica/djkrvx5

In the December Fairtrade Communities Bulletin published by the Fairtrade Communities Campaigns Team, High Wycombe was selected as campaigner of the month.

The entry was:

“Since launching our new online platform in May, over 100 Fairtrade Communities have made a fresh Fairtrade commitment.

Now, we would like to begin celebrating some of the wonderful work that people have been sharing as part of their renewals. Throughout 2024 we will be celebrating campaigners regularly, so keep an eye out on social media and on our emails. 

But to start things off, congratulations to December campaigner of the month, the High Wycombe for Fairtrade group! 

Through the hard work from Mike King and the rest of the High Wycombe Fairtrade team, great things have been achieved over many years.

High Wycombe has been a Fairtrade Community for nearly a decade. During Fairtrade Fortnight 2023, Mike King delivered 6 15-minute presentations about the function of Fairtrade to 995 students in the local high school and ran the Celebration Coffee project, built on a long-standing partnership with a Fairtrade Community in Grecia, Costa Rica.

Partnering with the CoopeVictoria Fairtrade coffee producer group, Mike arranged to have their coffee roasted in the UK by a local roaster. This historic moment was part of an ongoing celebration of the partnership between High Wycombe and Grecia’s communities, a partnership fostered by a shared passion for Fairtrade.”

Exploratory meeting on 13th October 2023 with Bradley and Amelia Steenkamp, owners, and roasters to investigate producing a CoopeVictoria single -origin coffee to mark the first Costa Rican to UK coffee shipment by the Gurnsey sea captain and entrepreneur, William Le Lacheur in the 1840’s.

Background

Horsham Coffee Roaster is an ecologically focused coffee roasting business dedicated to sustainable coffee sourcing direct from small-scale, independent, coffee producers in Central and East Africa, as well as from Central and South America. The state of the art 35-kilo roaster is a hot air roaster giving consistent quality and low carbon emissions. As independent roasters, they pride themselves in having good, long, working relationships with their small-scale farmers and growers.

Direct trade means that they often pay twice the price Fairtrade would pay the farmers, but that depends on quality, type of coffee grown and world prices.  60% of their turnover is from direct sales to clients via their website. They have a large, loyal customer base covering the whole world. 40% is sold through independent farm shops, cafes along the South Coast, and church and community cafes not signed up with another roaster.

Bradley and Amelia’s advice and suggestions on progressing this Le Lacheur (Galleon) coffee project.

Identify potential outlets and calculate possible demand: –

Local Community cafes in area

Local Events  (Pann Mill), Local Shows etc

Church cafes (no leased coffee machine or signed up to a coffee roaster

Farm shops and Garden Centres.

Independent stores

Coop Stores, Budgens, Waitrose may have local autonomy to buy a local sourced or celebration coffee.

Hospitals and Health centres not linked with Costa Coffee or Starbucks.

Opportunities

Advantages could purchase green beans from CoopeVictoria via InterAmerican, a coffee aggregator, facilitator and shipper, for around £7.00 per kilo to the UK and delivered to the warehouse. Although not Fairtrade certified, Bradley has transparency reports going back several years to trace specific batches of coffee.

The price for a roasted blended coffee, labelled and bagged per 250g bag would be around £6.75.

The price for a roasted single -origin coffee, labelled and bagged per 250g bag would be around £7.00. It would be more for fruitier and specialist high-end coffees like Tarrazu, grown in Costa Rica, which would retail around £12.00 to £15.00 per 250g bag.

Perceived Advantages, Disadvantages, and Problems

Advantages

Horsham Coffee Roaster could import sufficient quantities of the Monte Cajeo “green beans” via InterAmerican. (Smallest amount would be around 10 – 12 Kilos enough for 40 or 60 x 250g bags

Imports would be by sea, therefore 60% to 70% cheaper than air freight. These beans would be from the 2023 harvest.

Disadvantages

Horsham Coffee Roaster does not use very big labels, unlike Roast Lab, and in only one case use a second label on the reverse side to tell a story.

Apart from the country of origin, roast type, varietal, flavour notes, and date of roasting, there would not be an opportunity to have an image of William Le Lacheur, or his sailing ship, or indeed any historical background. This was possible with the Roast Lab bags. However, further information about the coffee and the narrative behind this could be included within the Quick Response code on the front of the bag.

Their standard labels do not have images, nor is there much room for one nor any detailed narrative.

Their two blended coffees have a fixed, tried, and tested formula, so this would preclude utilizing the “Lacheur” coffee from CoopeVictoria in these best-selling coffees.

Only one of their ranges of single – origin coffees emanate from producer cooperatives, most come direct from very small – scale, independent farmers.

Problems

Defining the potential market of this “Galleon Coffee” locally, range of retail and community outlets, and judging the quantities required.

Future

Bradley and Amelia are having a family holiday in Costa Rica in 2024 and want to visit the CoopeVictoria Cooperative. They are aware of the quality and reputation of Costa Rican coffee producers.

I have given Maria Angelia Horsham Coffee Roaster email addresses.

Next Steps?

To be decided

Mike King
Wycombe For Fairtrade Friday 13^th Oct 2023

This B2B initiative started by three Fairtrade regions in the UK is now known as the Alternative Coffee Company and the first green beans had arrived in the UK by July 2022 from 5 small-scale Fairtrade coffee producers in Uganda and Rwanda.

The whole growing, supply chain, and selling will ultimately be Fairtrade Certified and link small-scale coffee farmers with independent roasters and cafes, bringing producers and consumers closer together and hopefully improving customer sovereignty and feedback information to all parties. There appear to be some immediate challenges but the trading methodology appears to be sound.