Fair Trade, Love Coffee and At War

Coffee! I just got inspired, again. But at what cost? $1?

If "all is fair in love and war", how does the brewing fair trade coffee scene fit into foreign relations?

I've heard:
1. Without fair trade: The middleman profits disproportionately from the labor and resources of foreign lands.
2. With fair trade: Circumstances lead one to go organic and/or fair trade, which has the result in disproportionatly benefitting one farm versus the next, his own neighbor. (Can that be considered inciting a riot?)
3. And finally: foreign trade used to (and maybe still does) serve as an economic war (if not, then atleast nation states directly competing for market strength).

Should we be more informed before buying foreign products (or any products at all)? Is that question rhetorical? I tell you it's difficult to sell advice or information: The situation stands that the consumer/client/customer are not aware of the information they need to know.

Finally it's understandable and most natural to build a strong economy (whether it's your personal finances or the value of the dollar). Although at some point the link between "their" economy and "our" economy becomes "The" economy. So we would be harming ourselves if we build our nation disproportionatly stronger or larger than another countries. I'm in favor of a little account balancing. How about fair price? The best way to get at that is to be informed. How much does it cost for that coffee really? Is it sustainable?

In the current Age of Information, it seems as though the only advantage an individual (or market) could have is access to the Low Down. Supply chains are getting longer and longer and with that comes more chances for the real information to be marginalized and metamorphosed into what we want to hear.

Wouldn't you like to talk with Jaun Valdez? I'm sure he'd be up for sitting down to a cup of coffee.