Direct trade means a roaster buys from a farm or cooperative with fewer parties in between, usually claiming to pay above market and to have a continuing relationship.
The case for it
The commodity chain is long: producer, cooperative, mill, exporter, importer, roaster. Each takes a margin, and the producer takes the least.
Buying closer to the source can put more money in the producer’s hands and gives the roaster influence over quality and continuity.
The problem
There is no certification. No standard, no audit, no definition. “Direct trade” on a bag is a claim the roaster makes about itself.
Some roasters back it thoroughly — published prices paid, named farms, annual transparency reports. Others use the phrase because it sounds good.
How to tell them apart
Look for specifics. A transparency report listing the FOB price paid per lot is a real commitment. “We work directly with farmers” is not.
Versus Fairtrade
Fairtrade is certified and audited, guarantees a floor price, and is mostly available to cooperatives rather than individual farms. It is a safety net rather than a quality programme.
Direct trade can pay far more than the Fairtrade floor, and can also pay less. Neither is automatically the ethical choice.
The practical position
Buy from roasters who publish what they pay. That is the only version of this that is checkable.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026