For anyone who has ever visited a coffee cooperative in Nicaragua, there is a small, caffeine-buzzy thrill to finding Nica beans on a shelf in mainstream America. Fortunately, this is not as rare an event as it used to be, as consumer demand for Fair Trade continues to rise even as coffee drinkers become aware of the high quality of Nicaraguan cafecita. Indeed, Smithsonian magazine reports that "Nicaragua has recently become the 'hot origin' for gourmet coffee, with its beans winning taste awards and its decent wages for many small farmers a hopeful beacon for a global coffee market under siege. 

As we have reported in all of our books, there are wonderful opportunities to visit working coffee farms in Nicaragua, especially for the more intrepid traveler in the Matagalpa and Esteli regions where there are a handful of opportunities to visit coffee producing families. The best of these includes eco-tourism opportunities offered by UCA San Ramon, member of the CECOCAFEN cooperative. There, one can spend a night or more among a network of families trained to host curioius foreign visitors. You'll wake up early and learn firsthand what is involved in farming the bean. Back home, you'll feel that much more appreciation each time you spot a can of Fair Trade Nicaraguan at Trader Joe's, Starbucks, or better yet, your local-owned roaster.

The connection between producer and consumer, or at least the simplification of this relationship, is one of the most important outcomes of the Fair Trade movement, a global phenomenon in which Nicaragua is a key player. 

More opportunities for Fair Trade (or comercio justo) cafe-turismo in Nicaragua can be found by visiting Finca Esperanza Verde or volunteering at the UCA Miraflor. If you know of any others, please post them in the forum.

A related story from Reuters, "Starbucks sees strong growth for own 'fair' coffee," bears a Managua dateline and reports that "supplies of coffee that meet the company's in-house quality, environmental and social certification standard are growing."