A 2003 study concluded that fair trade has "greatly improved the well-being of small-scale coffee farmers and their families" by providing access to notice and external development funding and greater access to training, giving them the ability to improve the affection of their coffee. The families of fair trade producers were also more stable than those who were not involved in fair trade, and their children had greater access to education. A 2005 inquiry of Bolivian coffee producers concluded that Fairtrade certification has had a positive impact on local coffee prices, economically benefiting all coffee producers, Fairtrade certified or not.

During roasting, caramelization occurs as intense heat breaks down starches here in the bean, changing them to simple sugars that begin to brown, changing the intensity of the bean. Sucrose is rapidly lost during the roasting action and may disappear entirely in darker roasts. During roasting, aromatic oils, acids, and caffeine weaken, changing the flavor; at 205 °C (400 °F), other oils first step to develop. Unique of these oils is caffeol, oblige at about 200 °C (392 °F), which is largely responsible for coffee's aroma and flavor.