Coffee Shops/Cafés that sell Brewed Fair Trade Coffee
The following local cafés are known to offer brewed Fair Trade coffee, often organic, and many of them also sell packaged coffee. In addition to these locations, most—but not all—college food services now serve at least some Fair Trade coffee. (Note that Starbucks is not listed because they usually do not serve FairTrade coffee, although they do sell a packaged Fair Trade blend.)
One problem is that coffee and other products that bear the U.S. Fair Trade seal no longer meet international FairTrade standard—look for the international FairTrade seal shown above.
If you know a shop that sells Fair Trade but isn’t listed below, please let us know.
— Allentown —
Johnny’s Bagels & Deli
640 Hamilton Street (across from PPL Center)
Allentown, PA 18104
→ Fair Trade, Organic Coffee & tea available ←
— Bethlehem —
Café The Lodge
427 East Fourth Street
→ Fair Trade, Organic Coffee available ← (try the ‘Bold’ blend)
Deja Brew
101 W Fourth Street (at Vine Street)
→ most coffees are Fair Trade, Organic ←
Johnny’s Bagels & Deli
472 Main Street
→ Fair Trade, Organic Coffee & tea available ←
Johnny’s Bagels & Deli – SouthSide
Campus Square
S New Street & Morton Street
→ Fair Trade, Organic Coffee & tea available ←
Johnny’s Bagels & Deli – Westgate
Westgate Mall
Schoenersville Road
→ Fair Trade, Organic Coffee & tea available ←
The Joint
off the Sun Inn Courtyard
→ usually has Fair Trade organic coffee available ←
Jumbars
1342 Chelsea Avenue (At Greenwich)
→ 100% Fair Trade Organic Coffee ←
Lit
26 East Third Street
→ Fair Trade, Organic Coffee & tea available ←
Stations Café
536 Main Street [Bethlehem Commons]
→ Green Mountain coffees, some of which are fair trade ←
The Wise Bean
634 North New Street
→Generally has one Fair Trade certified coffee available ←
— Easton —
Cosmic Cup
520 March Street
→ Fair Trade organic coffees available ←
Homestead Coffee
in the Easton Public Market
325 Northampton Street
→ Fair Trade organic coffees available←
Terra Café
321 Northampton Street
→ most coffees are Fair Trade, Organic ←
— Kutztown —
Global Libations –
21 E Main Street
Warning: Even in the listed cafés, some of the coffees may not be FairTrade—check the label on each individual coffee to be sure it has the FairTrade logo. (Many sellers say their coffee is ‘fair trade’ or ‘fairly traded’, but sometimes that is just marketing hype—look for a third-party certification.)
What about ‘Rainforest Alliance’ certification?—This certification is for products that meet Rainforest Alliance criteria for environmental and social responsibility but it is allowed on coffees where as little as 30% of the beans meet the standards.. It is difficult to establish exactly what these standards are, but it’s clear that they are weaker than Fair Trade standards—and this certification does not ensure that small growers are fairly paid. [Rainforest Alliance tends to deal with large estates, where workers may not receive a living wage.]
Packaged Coffee
Many of the cafés listed above also sell packaged Fair Trade coffee, and some grocery stores offer at least one or two organic Fair Trade coffees (often located with health food instead of with other coffees).
You may also be able to find FairTrade teas, bananas, mangos, and rice, but they are hard to find in this area.
You can also order from a wide selection of FairTrade coffees, and many faith-based groups purchase Fair Trade products for use at events and/or for resale/as a fundraiser. Ask at your church, mosque, or temple—and if they don’t buy Fair Trade, suggest that they start! Here are a few popular sources that offer a variety of products:
Most religious and charitable relief groups support Fair Trade! More info… →
Remember, if you buy, serve, or drink coffee that is not FairTrade, you are helping to support a system that exploits workers!
Why focus on coffee? – Fair Trade certification is available for coffee, tea, cocoa/chocolate, vanilla, rice, and certain fruits (bananas, mangoes, pineapples, and grapes). We emphasize coffee because it is one of the most heavily-traded commodities in the world and because Fair Trade coffee is widely available. But if you buy tea, cocoa/chocolate, vanilla, rice, or fruit, ask for Fair Trade certified! You’ll be helping to build a demand for Fair Trade in those products and teaching the shop about the importance of Fair Trade.