Fair Trade

Fair trade
Creating a market for Third World farmers

First published in NUVO newsweekly 
by: Nicholas Jaqua May 19, 2004 


In recent years, the global price for coffee has been at an all-time low, resulting in desperate circumstances for small Third World farmers and plantation workers. Luckily, the rising tides of gourmet coffee drinkers in America can help by choosing fair trade coffee.

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The fair trade designation guarantees that farmers receive a fair price for growing and harvesting their crop. Indianapolis coffee shops and grocery stores have only recently noticed a demand.


Nora Spitznogle, general manager of CATH, said that they have been selling fair trade beans for several years, but only in the past few months have customers been asking for it by the cup.

“I wish everything could be fair trade,” she said. Spitznogle said that they brew five different coffees per day, and she is considering making one of them fair trade. She is also looking into making their house blend fair trade.

Based in Oakland, Calif., TransFair USA and its partners are responsible for certifying fair trade coffee. Their label guarantees that importers paid a minimum price of $1.26 per pound ($1.41 for certified organic) and helped finance production costs. TransFair USA also certifies tea, cocoa and fresh fruit.

According to the TransFair USA Web site, conventional coffee supplies are controlled by large producers and transnational corporations who reap profits while paying plantation workers and small farmers next to nothing. Fair trade cooperatives help farmers bypass conventional supply. Cooperatives also reinvest in the communities, building schools and improving health care.

“To me this is a social justice issue,” said Greg Foote, a retired high school English teacher from Indianapolis. He became interested in fair trade through friends and family who know people in Nicaragua.

Foote hopes the market for fair trade will grow in Indianapolis, and as a concerned consumer he has been spreading the word to coffee retailers. Being a good neighbor, he said, and giving farmers the opportunity to make a decent living is what fair trade is about.

The Monon Coffee Co. in Broad Ripple always has one fair trade coffee on its brew bar, said owner William Powell. Fair trade is the way things should be, he said, but not all varieties are available with the designation.

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“There are some countries that don’t have fair trade growing situations,” he said, “and, in order to get the whole breadth of coffees from around the world, it’s difficult to get everything fair trade.”

For some gourmet shops, bean quality is the most important thing. Mary Johanns, owner of the Stanton Coffee Co., a local coffee roaster, said that the coffee they purchase is sometimes fair trade but not always.

“When we purchase coffee we don’t look at it as being just fair trade,” she said. “We try to get the best coffee out there.” Specialty grade coffees are sold at a premium, Johanns said, and, in some situations, farmers are being paid more even if it’s not designated fair trade.

Lee Granger, owner of The Coffee Corner, always has fair trade beans for sale, but what they offer by the cup varies from day to day. For many customers, she said, fair trade is a selling point.

“Some people will go to certain coffeehouses because they know there’s fair trade there,” she said. Growing coffee is a lot like wine, Granger added, and farmers’ lives are interwoven with the coffee they produce, so helping farmers is always beneficial.

A coffee’s origin — who produces it and how — can be difficult to determine. The best way for consumers to know coffee is fair trade is to look for the label or ask the person behind the counter. The majority of fair trade coffee — 85 percent — is also certified organic.

Kroger, Trader Joe’s, The Good Earth in Broad Ripple and Wild Oats in Nora sell varieties of fair trade certified coffee. Wild Oats also stocks fair trade bananas and will soon have fair trade pineapples. Global Gifts on 86th Street sells coffee and a variety of other fair trade goods, including clothing, soap and pottery.

Some churches have also begun to serve fair trade after or before services. St Paul’s Episcopalian Church recently ran an ad in NUVO, offering a “free cup of fair trade coffee” on Sundays.

Fair trade coffee is more expensive. CATH’s Spitznogle said that it generally runs about a dollar more per pound. The increased cost per cup is only a few cents. So, for only pocket change, coffee drinkers can help create a viable market for hard-working Third World farmers.

first published in NUVO newsweekly February 11, 2004 

Speakeasy: Q&A with Nora Spitznogle

by: Danica Johnson

Nora Spitznogle operates Cath Inc. coffeehouse at 52nd and College. 

Please explain the Underground Railroad of Musicians.

That is a phrase I’ve been using to describe how these great musicians land on our doorstep. Someone from NYC plays here, tells a friend, and suddenly we’ve got people from all over the country. We’ve been hosting singer-songwriters for about four years. We’ve gone from doing about a show a month to hosting 125 musicians last year and being a venue for the Midwest Music Summit.

Who are some of your favorite regular out-of-towners that pass through to play Cath?


Edie Carey, Joel Ackerson, Seth Horan, Trina Hamlin, danny flanigan, Amy Speace and Ripley Caine.

Favorite locals?

Joel Henderson, Stasia Demos, Otis Gibbs, Amy Lashely, Kit Malone, Middletown, Loretta

...Because the nature of the beast naturally attracts smaller crowds, have you ever considered closing the doors to musicians because it’s more trouble than it’s worth?

That is a frustration for me. We have musicians that will sell out a venue in NYC or Chicago, and bring in just a few people here. I am committed to continuing to bring great original music to Indianapolis. Every musician that has played at Cath has had a great experience. They all tell me it’s like playing in their hometown and customers always enjoy the show. That makes it worth it.

Are there advantages for artists to play in this forum rather than the Patio, etc?

Cath is a great listening room. People are there to hear the music. The acoustics are great, it’s cozy and we promise not to steam milk during the songs! They usually sell CDs and get immediate feedback from the audience.

Why are coffeehouses such a natural place for acoustic artists? 

The intimacy, not competing with bar chatter, smoke and dance floors. Coffeehouses are also a place where people feel comfortable coming alone.

You don’t book a lot of metal at Cath, I would imagine.

We’d love to have an acoustic version of a metal band. There have been some local bands that will play a show at Cath so their family can see them. It’s hard to convince rock bands that people will come out to see music in the afternoon and early evening!

Are there any upcoming shows you’re especially excited about?

Anne Heaton’s Valentine’s Day show, Joel Henderson and Heidi Howe Feb. 20, Sam Shaber Feb. 28.