You walk into your local coffee shop, order an espresso and hand over your money. In return the kind person behind the counter brings you a small cup of smooth, creamy hot liquid which rejuvenates your body and focuses your mind.

Very few of us every really think about the coffee we drink, we're like a smoker in need of a nicotine fix except our drug of choice is caffeine. We can find our dealer on just about every street and they are always happy to see us and our money, but there seems to be little connection between the coffee we are served and origins of the beans that were used to make it.

Maybe it doesn't matter all that much, I mean most of us don't have the first clue about how our car's engine works but its still does the job we require of it.

Or maybe it does matter. Maybe the difference with coffee is the fact that our daily purchasing decision has a more dramatic effect on the lives of other human beings. You can choose to be ignorant of the fact that the coffee you drink was grown and harvested by people who were paid less than they need to feed their family. On the other hand you can make the choice to drink coffee from a source which promises a fair living wage to those who worked hard to produce it.

Fair trade coffee is part of a worldwide movement which aims to improve the lives of producers in developing countries by paying them a fair price for their produce, allowing families to earn a living from their hard work. Traditionally these workers have been at the mercy of the markets which meant they could face being paid less than the cost to produce their coffee beans in years when there was a worldwide oversupply.

The fair trade movement also works for improved social and environmental standards in areas in which it works ensuring a better quality of life for those in the community and a brighter future for planet earth.

If you are interested in buying products which make a concerted effort to pay a fair wage to the growers in developing countries then look out for the fair trade label on the packet of any coffee you purchase.

The labelling conventions which are used by products in the Fair Trade ranges of products is organized by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International who lead a worldwide network of organizationswho support producers, raise awareness and campaign for improvements in the practices of international trade.