An illuminating article here - http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/politic.../fairtrade.htm

certainly I agree that the Fairtrade brand coffee doesn't taste great on the occasions I have tried it.

Oh, just a minute, the article is from the Daily Torygraph. How unsurprising then

Although I am not a coffee drinker I know there are dozens of different Fairtrade branded coffees. I am told some are excellent and others not. But there again, some other branded non-Fairtrade coffees, I am told, taste like gnats p*ss. It is a matter of choice thank heavens.

Clearly the likes of the Torygraph are never going to support Fairtrade and if there was a backlash it is no surprise it is coming from that quarter.

For a different point of view see: www.fairtrade.org.uk

Café direct beat douwe Egbert's instant in a taste test by which.
Read the article this morning of the 3 products they looked at only the coffee beat a name brand rival.
Harriet Lamb a director of the fair trade foundation did say that fair trade products do not claim to be quality products. Just that they pay the producers better money for their goods.