Fairtrade Climate Neutral Coffee

Fairtrade Climate Neutral Coffee is unique in two ways.

1. The compensation takes place in the coffee chain itself, directly with Fairtrade certified small coffee farmers. This means that the farmers are also receiving the benefits of the Fairtrade System, such as the Fairtrade Minimum Price and Fairtrade Premium.
2. The carbon credits used to offset the remaining emissions of coffee production are also Fairtrade Certified. Fairtrade Carbon Credits are generated by Fairtrade coffee farmers through climate projects that reduce greenhouse gases, provide the communities with extra income, and additional benefits such as improved health.

Products that are Carbon Neutral generally only offset carbon emissions. However, Climate Neutral measures and offsets the emissions of all four greenhouse gases that cause climate change: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases.

Carbon credits, in essence, are tonnes of carbon dioxide that have been prevented from entering or have been removed from the atmosphere. Companies and individuals can purchase carbon credits to take responsibility for the emissions they produce. Fairtrade carbon credits support small-scale farmers and rural communities by providing access to additional finance from climate projects and by assisting them to reduce their impact on the environment.

Fairtrade and Gold Standard have partnered together to create Fairtrade Carbon Credits, to support smallholder farmers and rural communities in reducing emissions and improving their resilience to the effects of climate change.