It is the first time a national British institution has agreed to serve coffee which bears the official FairtradeMark label guaranteeing a fair deal for plantations in developing countries.
Retailers add their own enormous mark-ups to Fairtrade products and mislead consumers into thinking that all of the premium they are paying is passed on.
And since only a small fraction of the mark-up on Fairtrade foods actually goes to the farmer most goes to the retailer the system gives rich consumers an inflated impression of their largesse and makes alleviating poverty seem too easy.