Unfortunately, many people have the misconception that any coffee labeled Fair Trade is automatically of the highest quality. This is not the case. It's an open secret among high-end coffee roasters and drinkers that Fair Trade coffee is often of lower quality than can be found elsewhere. After all, the requirements for earning the Fair Trade label have nothing to do with the taste of grower's coffee, but only with meeting the Fair Trade requirements. When the price a grower receives for coffee is not based on quality, but on other factors, there is no incentive to work to maintain or improve quality — with predictable results.