Does Tim Hortons have fair trade coffee?
Short answer: No. Long answer from their website FAQ: We believe the best approach to address the long-term issues facing coffee growers is through a “coffee sustainability” program. Although fair trade programs are admirable we decided against buying fair trade coffee and developing a program that works directly with the growers. The fair trade program requires certification on behalf of the farmers which is an expense they cannot usually afford plus it provides a price that has no relation to the quality of the coffee. Under the pilot program technical assistance will be provided to teach proper pruning techniques, fertilization, irrigation and the effective use of coffee processing stations. As part of the technical training being provided to the farmers in the project area, demonstration plots have been established and are used to teach best practices in pruning, fertilizing etc. In 2005, we launched a sustainable coffee partnership pilot project to make a meaningful contribution i
