Sustainable, Ethical Coffees
We are strong supporters of sustainability practices, including fair wages, land use, reducing pesticides & contaminants, and so on.
Sustainable Coffees Help the Earth
Sustainable coffees are grown in a way that is good for the environment and for Farmers also. This includes Fair Trade, Shade Grown, and Direct Trade. Coffees that are independently verified can be labelled as Sustainable. This is a large market now, and the larger it gets the more it can help influence other product areas to seek sustainability. It is hoped that sustainable practices benefit the farmers and the local population who live there. Non-sustainable practices such as open-sun farming with full use of pesticides are clearly not sustainable. When you buy coffee, look for a standards certification that you can believe in. The International Coffee Organization (ICO) has developed standards, and has many members; there are other standards bodies as well. Each local community that adopts sustainable practices finds many benefits, including better water use - a very important factor for many. We should all seek out coffees that are sustainably sourced.
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Rainforest Certified:
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One of our favorite sites for ethical coffee is Equal Exchange.
The coffee industry is so large that there will inevitably be numerous organizations in each area. Starbucks has its own sustainability program, using phrases like "responsibly grown" and "ethically traded". While a universal standard might be preferable, it is to their credit that they are making this effort.
The Rainforest Alliance deserves special attention. They have found that traditional, 'forested' coffees support much wildlife. You can support farmers who maintain these rainforest farming practices by buying coffees that have the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal of approval. 25 million people in the tropics alone depend on coffee farming for the livelihood. Buying responsibly can help improve the world.
Starbucks is also making an effort in this area; they call it "Ethical Sourcing". We wish that Folgers and other large coffee companies would give more focus to sustainability and ethical ways of running a coffee business.
The coffee industry is so large that there will inevitably be numerous organizations in each area. Starbucks has its own sustainability program, using phrases like "responsibly grown" and "ethically traded". While a universal standard might be preferable, it is to their credit that they are making this effort.
The Rainforest Alliance deserves special attention. They have found that traditional, 'forested' coffees support much wildlife. You can support farmers who maintain these rainforest farming practices by buying coffees that have the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal of approval. 25 million people in the tropics alone depend on coffee farming for the livelihood. Buying responsibly can help improve the world.
Starbucks is also making an effort in this area; they call it "Ethical Sourcing". We wish that Folgers and other large coffee companies would give more focus to sustainability and ethical ways of running a coffee business.
Climate Change is affecting (hurting) the coffee industry
Climate Change is making many areas of the world dryer and hotter, and this makes it harder to grow coffee. This puts more pressure on farmers, and also raises coffee prices. Climate Change will be a challenge for the industry, for many decades to come. Pursuing shade-grown coffee is one option, for farmers in or near forests.
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