Sales of fair trade coffee perk up

John Reinan, Star Tribune

Dave and Sonja Strutz get a nice buzz from their morning coffee, and it's not just from the caffeine. The St. Cloud couple drink only fair trade coffee, which they order in bulk from an East Coast supplier.

"The coffee itself is great, and the fact that we're helping to sustain some small farmers of Central America or Africa only adds to the flavor," Dave Strutz wrote in an e-mail. "Everyone wins, except the huge agribusinesses, which often provide less than subsistence living for these folks."

Fair trade coffee -- now available largely in food co-ops and specialty stores -- soon will be more accessible to the average grocery shopper.

Consumer-products giant Procter & Gamble announced this week that Millstone, its upscale coffee brand, will offer a fair trade selection.

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