Organic Fair Trade Coffee

Coffee. For millions of us the morning simply wouldn’t be the same without our “cuppa joe.” Whether at home, in the car, at the office, or a Saturday morning in the garden, things just wouldn’t be right without it. It’s as much ritual and comfort as anything.

Yet, to get on my soapbox for a moment, too few of us consider what’s behind that cup – the people and the places that produce the elixir of your mornings. And, I would submit to you, that few other simple choices you could make have more impact than the coffee you choose. By purchasing certified organic coffee or fair trade coffee or shade grown coffee, you are choosing not to be part of a system that exposes workers to chemicals that they have little understanding of; that perpetuates poverty for family farmers in developing countries; and that contributes to deforestation.

Ok, ok, I get it! I’ve heard those terms, but what do they mean and why should I care?

Certified organic coffee is similar to other certified organic products in that crops must be raised with no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers containing synthetic chemicals, no sewage-sludge fertilizer, no bio-engineered foods or irradiation, and no GMOs.

Fair Trade means that small farmers are guaranteed fair and stable prices for their beans. As the large tracts of rain forest that were cleared during the coffee boom came into production, prices to small family farms just trying to survive dropped 70%, leaving families and workers in these developing counties living in poverty while we all sucked back $5 latte’s at our favorite Seattle based coffee chain. (sorry, that darn soapbox again!) Fair trade gives these folks a chance.

Shade grown is just what the name implies. It’s important because while coffee was historically grown under the canopies of the forest, large companies found that growing coffee in the sun produced higher yields and reduced labor costs. The problem is that where coffee grows best is in the climate covered by rainforest, so large portions of the rainforests were cleared for coffee production. Shade grown certifies that your coffee has not contributed to deforestation. And truth be told, shade grown coffee is the most flavorful in the world.

Please take a look at our selection of organic, fair trade and shade grown coffee. We hope that your morning comfort will feel just a little bit better knowing you’re supporting the people and places that help get you going.

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