How much coffee should I drink per day? The answer depends on whether you want to lose weight or gain muscle mass. If you want to burn fat, then you should consume between 2 and 3 cups of coffee daily. On the other hand, if you want to build muscles, then you should consume 4 to 6 cups of coffee daily.
Coffee has become a part of our lives. Many people around the globe enjoy drinking coffee every morning. In addition to being delicious, coffee also contains caffeine, which helps boost energy levels. Caffeine is a stimulant that increases alertness and improves concentration.
Coffee is considered to be one of the healthiest beverages out there. According to research, drinking coffee regularly can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. There are many brands of coffee that you can choose from. Some of them include Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, Tim Hortons, and Costa Coffee.
Best Sustainable Coffee Brands You Can Trust
Coffee production is a major industry, with around 1 billion cups consumed each day. However, the future of coffee cultivation looks bleak. Scientists predict that 60% of the land currently used for growing coffee plants will be unusable by 2050 due to climate change. This means that there will not be enough land available for farmers to grow coffee. As a result, many coffee growers will need to move away from the land they currently cultivate. This could lead to a shortage of high-quality coffee, which is why we decided to investigate whether it is possible to buy sustainably produced coffee online.
If you’re looking for a new coffee, we’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled a list of the greenest companies in the coffee industry. These companies are committed to sustainability and social responsibility. You’ll also get a discount if you buy through us!
Coffee and Sustainability
Climate change is an issue that affects all aspects of life. It is caused by the increase in greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. These gases trap heat inside the atmosphere, causing the Earth to warm. As temperatures rise, the ocean levels also rise, flooding coastal regions. Climate change will affect our lives in many ways, including the environment, agriculture, economics, health, and society.
Climate change is affecting coffee production throughout the world. Coffee growers in Colombia are experiencing inconsistent yields due to rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall patterns. These changes could lead to a decrease in global coffee production by as much as 40%. Vietnam could also experience long dry seasons by 2050 in the central highlands, where most robusta beans are grown.
Climate change affects everyone. Small and large coffee producers alike will suffer. But what benefits can sustainability in coffee give us if we redirect our support towards it? Coffee production has many positive impacts. For example, it provides livelihoods for millions of people. Also, it helps to protect biodiversity and reduce deforestation. Finally, it supports local communities through income generation and job creation. These are just a few examples of why we should all care about sustainable coffee.
Although there isn’t any single coffee company that can tackle the problem of climate change alone, the existence of World Coffee Research is helpful in developing strategies to lessen its impact. Some of the strategies may be more adaptive than preventive since temperatures will continue to rise continually. These strategies undertaken are:
Coffee is an important crop in Ethiopia, accounting for nearly half of its GDP. Coffee production is threatened by climate change and pests. A project called “Arabica Coffee Gene Bank” is working to preserve the genetic diversity of Ethiopian coffees. It will help farmers identify the best varieties for different regions and climates. It will also allow scientists to study the effects of climate change on coffee crops.
Despite all the progress made in the last decades, there are still many challenges ahead. One of them is climate change. We need to understand what will happen if we continue to produce coffee at current levels, and how farmers can adapt to changing conditions. A lot of research is going into finding solutions to these problems, but we need to ensure that the information we gather is accessible to those who need it the most.
“We must prepare for the distinct possibility of extinction,” says Mr. Welsh. “It is not something we want to think about, but if we don’t start preparing now, there will be no time later when we can say, ‘Oh well, we were just starting to get ready.’”
Sustainability Things to Consider when Buying Coffee
If you’re looking for a great cup of coffee, then you need to think about sustainability. You should always try to buy products that are produced ethically and sustainably. There are many different ways to go about doing this. Here are some tips to help you choose the right company:
1) Look at the company’s social responsibility practices. Do they donate money to organizations that protect the environment? Are they working towards eliminating child labor? Do they provide fair wages to workers?
2) Ask yourself what kind of impact you’d like to see in the world. If you care about animal welfare, then you might want to avoid buying coffee beans from companies that farm animals. If you care about the environment, then you’ll want to avoid buying coffee from companies that pollute the air or water.
Is your coffee FairTrade?
Fair trade coffee is a coffee brand that is ethically sourced from small farms around the world. It is certified through the Fairtrade system. Fairtrade guarantees that farmers receive a fair price for their crops and that workers are paid a living wage. Fairtrade also protects the environment, ensuring that the land and water are not polluted. Fair trade coffee is a symbol of ethical sourcing and fair wages for workers.
Read our full overview of Fair Trade Coffee to learn more.
Is it Organic?
Organic farming is an alternative method of growing food. It is a system of production that relies on natural resources instead of synthetic chemicals. It is a form of agriculture that does not use any type of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Instead, it relies on composting, crop rotation, cover cropping, and biological pest controls. These practices allow farmers to grow healthy crops while protecting the environment. Organic farming is considered to be the safest and most sustainable method of producing food. It is also beneficial for consumers because it allows them to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables that are free of harmful toxins.
If you’re going to drink coffee, then you should go for organic coffee. Not only does it taste great, but it also helps your body stay healthy. Antioxidants found in organic coffee protect the liver and boost the immune system. Coffee beans are grown using sustainable farming practices, making sure that the soil is not contaminated with pesticides and fertilizers. Farmers grow coffee plants organically, which means that they practice sustainable farming techniques. Organic coffee is best because it doesn’t harm the environment and the farmers.
Is it Bird Friendly?
Coffee with a Bird-Friendly Seal is a company that sources its beans from farms that include a mixture of foliage cover, tree heights, and biodiversity in their production practices to protect wildlife and habitat for birds. These farms also practice sustainable agriculture, reducing the need for pesticides and fertilizers. Coffee plants are grown under a layer of trees instead of on cleared land.
These coffee farms actively participated in a program called Bird Friendly. Through this program, they protected the birds’ habitats from the threat of deforestation by planting native plants and trees. To support coffee farmers who are protecting biodiversity, you should look for coffee brands with the Bird-Friendly seal.
Carbon Neutral
Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages around the globe. It is also one of the most destructive crops when it comes to the environment and wildlife. Coffee plants require large amounts of land to grow, and deforestation is often necessary to create space for them. Once the coffee plant is harvested, it requires a lot of water to produce the beans. As a result, many rivers become contaminated with chemicals like pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals end up in our drinking water and harm wildlife.
Coffee is a drink that we all enjoy. However, the process of making coffee is not enjoyable at all. There is a lot of waste produced during the production of coffee. For example, the beans are shipped around the world before they reach our homes. Then, when we get them, we need to roast them. Roasting takes a lot of energy and produces a lot of pollution. Finally, after roasting, we need to grind them. Grinding also uses a lot of energy and creates a lot of pollution.
Carbon neutral certifies businesses by making sure that they are doing everything possible to reduce emissions. They also ensure that they are using sustainable materials and processes. They require companies to have policies in place that help them achieve their goals. These goals could be anything from increasing recycling rates to reducing energy usage.
Direct Trade
Fair Trade is a system of trading practices that ensures farmers receive a fair price for their products. It helps them stay afloat when prices fall. Fair Trade also encourages ethical production standards and sustainable farming practices. Fair Trade certification is available for coffee, tea, cocoa, sugarcane, bananas, cotton, honey, vanilla, cacao, palm oil, rice, wheat, and many other agricultural commodities.
If your favorite coffee brand says “direct trade,” then you can rest assured that the coffee company is committed to sourcing its coffee from small farms around the globe. These farmers grow their own coffee and sell directly to the company, eliminating middlemen and giving them full control over the quality of their product.
Single Origin
Single-origin coffee is expensive because it takes extra effort to grow the crop. The farmers must carefully select the best land, water, and climate conditions to produce the highest quality beans. These factors result in a unique flavor profile that can only be found in specific areas.
Our Favorite Sustainable Coffee Brands
Big Cup of Coffee recommends eight sustainable coffee brands that raise the bar to support and protect the earth and wildlife while roasting great-tasting coffee. These eight sustainable coffee brands are all committed to protecting the planet and its inhabitants. They are also committed to providing fair wages and working conditions for their employees. All of them are certified organic and Fair Trade.
Larrys Coffee
Larry’s Coffee is an environmentally conscious company that sources its beans from fair-trade cooperatives around the world. They are committed to sustainability and transparency, and they strive to create a positive impact on the communities in which they operate. Their location is in Raleigh, NC. They are certified organic. They also offer fair trade options.
Rainforest Alliance: No. Carbon Neutral: No. Certifications: Fair Trade, Organic, Shade Grown, B-Corp. Direct Trade, Single-origin, or Single-Producer: Direct Trade, Single Origin. Our Overall Rating: 3.9 out of 5. Read the full review here to see what this B corporation coffee company has in store!
Larry’s Coffee Roasters is a Certified B Corporation. They are committed to doing business in a socially responsible manner and to creating value for all stakeholders. Larry is a founding member of Cooperative Coffee, an association of independent coffee roasters working together to define a higher standard of partnership, fairness, and transparency.
Nossa Familia
Nossa Familia Coffee Roasters is a B Corporation coffee roaster located in Portland, Oregon. They focus on building strong relationships with farmers and other stakeholders in the coffee industry. Their goal is to create positive change in the communities they operate within. They also strive to be environmentally sustainable. Location: Portland, OR. Organic: Yes.
We source our coffee directly from small farms in Brazil. We pay them fair wages, provide education opportunities, and promote health and safety among workers and families. We also ensure that we buy only organic, single-origin, direct trade, or single producer beans. We do not use any chemicals or pesticides on our farm. We are certified by the Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the environment through responsible management of forests and agricultural lands. We are also carbon neutral.
Portland Roasting Company
Coffee roasters source their beans directly from farmers. These coffee roasters not only support Fair Trade but also embrace other practices that build sustainable relationships. These include renewable energy practices, fair trades, and organic, coffee production practices that reduce their environmental impact. Location: Portland, OR.
We love coffee! We also love supporting sustainable practices. That’s why we’ve chosen to partner with organizations like the Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade USA, and Organic Valley. These certifications ensure that farmers receive fair wages and working conditions while providing consumers with products that are produced ethically.
Portland Coffee Roasters is an award-winning roaster located in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1996 by two friends, they have grown to become one of the largest specialty coffee companies in the United States. Its mission is to source the best quality coffee possible, working closely with farmers and supporting the communities they call home. By focusing on sustainability, they aim to ensure that their products are produced ethically and sustainably.
Tiny Footprint Coffee
Tiny Footprint Coffee is a sustainable coffee company that works with farmers to grow organic, shade-grown beans. When you purchase an organic, shade-grown bean, this coffee company pays the farmer a fair price for the coffee beans. They then plant trees around the world to offset the carbon emissions caused by shipping the coffee beans.
Location: Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, USA. Organic: Yes. Rainforest alliance: Yes. Carbon neutral: Yes. Certified organic: Yes. Direct trade: Yes. Single-origin: Direct trade. Our overall rating is 4.7 out of 5. Our favorite coffee: Fair trade organic Peru.
Learn more about what Tiny Footprint Coffee does in our full review.
Pachamama Coffee
Pachamama Coffee is an online platform that connects consumers with cooperatives and farmers around the world. Through the platform, consumers can buy coffee directly from cooperative members at a fair and competitive rate. The union and cooperative members determine the coffee purchase’s value to ensure that growers get paid fairly. The farmers export coffee while Pachamama imports it to the United States. The imported beans are then roasted and shipped for wholesale distribution. The profits from the coffee sales are then distributed among the farmers through retained earnings or dividend payments.
Location: San Francisco, California. Organic: No. Fair Trade: No. Organic: Yes. Rainforest alliance: Yes. Carbon neutral: No. Certifications: None. Direct trade, single-origin, or single producer: Direct trade, single producer. Our favorite coffee: Single Origin Guatemala. We love the taste of this coffee!
Volcanica
Volcanica Coffee is a company that sources organic coffee beans grown on farms that practice sustainable agriculture. These farms are located in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and South America. The farmers are paid fairly for their crops and receive fair prices for their products. Volcanica Coffee also supports local communities through educational programs and other initiatives. Its mission is to provide fair wages and working conditions for farmers while maintaining a healthy environment.
We certify fair trade, organic, shade-grown, direct trade, single-origin, or single producer coffee. We also rate them all. We give you the best overall rating possible. We then go through each coffee we buy and tell you why we like it. You can read about our favorite coffee here.
Volcanica carries over 130 coffee varieties, including single-origin, estate, and specialty blends. Their organic coffees come from farms that are certified organic by the USDA. Their fair trade coffees come from farmers who receive a fair price for their crops and workers are paid a living wage. Their shade-grown coffees come from farms in developing countries where the farmers grow their own shade trees to protect their crops from the sun. Their low acid coffees are made using a special roasting method that preserves the flavor of the beans.
Larry’s Coffee
Highlights is an online shop that sells organic, fair trade, shade-grown coffee. Its mission is to provide customers with high-quality coffee at affordable prices. They source their coffee directly from farmers and roast them fresh daily. They also offer free shipping on orders over $100.
Larry‘s Coffee is a small, family-owned, and operated coffee shop located in Raleigh, NC. They are committed to providing high-quality, ethically sourced coffees to customers around the country. Its goal is to provide the highest level of customer service possible while maintaining a sustainable environment. They source their beans from local farms and roast them in their own facility. They also offer a variety of cold brew options, including nitro cold brew.
Larry Larson is the co-founder and CEO of SYNC Network. He is an eccentric guy who loves blueberries and coffee. He believes in fair trade and sustainable farming practices. He wants everyone to enjoy his products.
Larry‘s Coffee sources its coffee from small farms located all over the globe. Most of them are less than five acres, allowing the company to source high-quality coffees that are often hard to come by. Larry also works closely with the farmers to ensure that they get paid fairly. The company does this by paying them upfront before they harvest the coffee beans. Farmers then receive financing to help them grow the next crop. Larry’s pays them again when the beans are ready to ship and even provides them with marketing assistance.
I like coffee because I get to meet interesting people at my local coffee shop. I also really enjoy talking about coffee and getting to know other people. Coffee shops are great places to talk about anything you want. You never need to worry about what someone thinks of your opinions. At least not if you go to a good coffee shop. If you go to a bad coffee shop, then you might have to worry about what everyone thinks of your opinion. But if you go to a nice place like Cafe La Boheme, then you will probably just end up making friends.
Ethical Bean
Highlights are great tasting, fair trade certified, organic, and roasted in a LEADER certified energy-efficient facility using a smart roaster. Ethical Bean Coffee is a great way to start your morning. I’m a fan of Lush Coffee from Ethical Bean and the company’s transparency. Every bag of Ethical Bean Coffee comes with a unique QR Code that tells you exactly where the coffee was grown, when it’s roasted, and how the director of coffee scores it.
Q grading is an important step in the brewing process. The Q Grading system was developed in Germany in the early 1980s and is still widely practiced today. A Q Grader evaluates the quality of a coffee bean before it is roasted. They evaluate the beans according to three criteria: appearance, aroma, and flavor. Appearance refers to the size, shape, and color of the bean. Aroma refers to the scent of the bean, while Flavor refers to the taste of the bean.
Ethical Beans buys only washed or wet-processed coffees from Fair Trade farmers who grow the beans naturally under shady canopies, using organic farming methods free from harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Their coffee isn’t Certified Shade Grown, and Ethical Beans dodge the question a little on their website FAQs, noting that there are varying standards for Shade-Grow depending on the source. So they don’t really market their coffee as Shade-Grown. Given their other efforts though, I’ll give them the benefit of that doubt.
Ethical Bean works with Bullfrog Power to buy renewable energy credits for their roastery and vehicles. They also work with Carbonfund.org to offset remaining emissions. Ethical Bean also works with Climate Smart to offset any remaining emissions. They use Gold Standard offsets.
Ethical Beans donates a portion of its profits to Child Aid‘s FUNDIT program to help support school children in Guatemala through education. The Ethical Bean coffee scholarship fund turned 10 years old in 2019, and the company has supported FUNDIT since 2003. Since then, it has donated $1 million to the project. In addition, the company supports Project Somos, an ecological sustainable village and community for at-risk mothers and children in Guatemala, with a focus on improving maternal health.
However, if you’re not located in Canada, we suggest using Amazon.ca instead.
Café Mam
Highlights is a company that sources its coffee from fair trade, organic, and shade-grown farms around the globe. Their goal is to provide customers with an ethical alternative to mainstream coffee companies. Highlight’s coffee is certified organic, fair trade, and shade-grown. They source their coffee from indigenous farmers in Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.
Cafe Mam offers a range of coffees, including single origin, fair trade, organic, and even decaf. All of their packagings is either 100% recycled or made from compostable materials. They also offer a line of freshly packaged coffee that is shelf-stable and biodegradable. Their packaging is designed to be both reusable and compostable.
Mam Café is a fair trade coffee producer located in Costa Rica. Its mission is to create jobs, promote sustainable agriculture, protect the environment and empower women. Mam Café donates 2% of all sales to non-profit organizations that help others. Each sack of coffee comes with a detailed traceability report, making sure that everything is done ethically and sustainably.
CafÉ Mam supports sustainable coffee farming practices. Their goal is to protect water resources while helping farmers grow healthy coffee plants. Coffee beans contain a lot of water, so when you buy them at your local grocery store, you’re actually buying a big bag of water. By purchasing CaféMam-certified coffee, you’re not just getting delicious coffee—you’re also supporting sustainable agriculture.
They are using 100% recycled office paper, and they are using biodegradable packing materials. Their packaging is 100% recyclable or compostable, and they are making sure that everything they produce is eco-friendly. All of their products are shipped in reusable containers. SeQuential Biofuels is supplying them with local biodiesel.
Higher Ground Roasters
Higher Ground Coffee is an ethical and eco-friendly company that sources its beans from small farmers around the globe. Their goal is to create a completely sustainable business model, and they strive to achieve this by offsetting their daily energy usage with renewable energy credits through Renewable Choice. They also partner with non-profit organizations like the Black Warrior Riverkeeper and the Cahaba River Society to help promote sustainability and environmental conservation.
Higher Ground Coffee is a company that roasts and ships its own coffee beans. All of their coffees are certified organic, and they roast them using the Swiss Water Process. There are around twenty different coffees available, including decaffeinated options. Their coffee subscriptions allow customers to choose from multiple flavors each month. Some of my favorites are the Magic City Blend, the Southern Comfort blend, and the Sweet Dreams blend. I love the Magic City because it tastes like a cross between a French Vanilla Latte and a mocha. The Southern Comfort is great if you enjoy a strong espresso flavor, while the Sweet Dreams is a lighter version of an Irish Cream Latte.
Conscious Coffees
Highlights is an American company founded in 1995 that sells fair-trade coffee. Highlight’s mission is to provide high-quality, ethically sourced coffees to consumers around the globe. Their goal is to create positive social change through the production of high-quality products and the promotion of socially responsible businesses.
Conscious Coffee has been recognized by B Corporation as Best for the World since 2015. They were also named Best for the World in 2018, earning a community impact rating in the top 10% globally. This means they‘re doing great things for the planet, workers, communities, and consumers.
Conscious Coffees is a founding partner of Cooperative Coffees, an international cooperative of coffee growers, importers, and roasters. Since 2003, they’ve sourced directly from farmer partners around the globe, ensuring they can better maintain quality standards and guarantee farmers a reliable income. Their coffees are all certified organic, and they offer a full line of single-origin coffees, including a decaf selection and some sampler packs for those looking to try different flavors.
Conscious Coffee Roasters is a small family-owned business and they roast the coffees fresh to order. You will never run out! As it’s neither mentioned nor implied on their website, I emailed them to ask if they were Fair Trade Certified and what shade-growing practices they use. Happily, I received an immediate reply from Craig, who told me that almost all of their coffees are shade-grown, with most of the growers using cash crops (such citrus and avocados) to shade their beans, and that they are Fair Trade Certified. He added, “We can’t guarantee that every bean we purchase is shade-grown but certainly most of them are. All of our coffees are also fair trade. We source directly from cooperatives which are Fair Trade certified.”
We were curious about their decaffeination process, so we asked Craig if he could tell us more about it. He said that they do use the same water process as other companies that sell coffee beans, but that it isn’t technically the Swiss water process. He told us that they had to get permission from the Mexican government to use the process and that they did it in Mexico.
Salt Spring Coffee
Highlights
- One of the best B Corporations around, making 100% Organic and Sustainable Coffee with Fair Trade Certification and a strong reputation for Deliciousness and Solid Ethics.
- Affiliate Disclosure. I’ve got a soft spot for SaltSpringCoffee because I can almost see SaltSpringIsland from my house (west coast of Canada)
- They have B Corporation Status, are members of 1 Percent For The Planet and Fairtrade, and make 100% Certified Organic and 100% Delicious Coffee at a Great Price!
In the early 2000s, two friends decided to start a small business together. They had always enjoyed making coffee at home and wanted to share their passion with others. They bought an old popcorn maker and a woodstove and started roasting their own coffee. They were amazed by the taste and the quality of the product. They soon realized there was a market for high-quality coffee and began selling their product at local farmers’ markets. Today, the company operates a roasting and packaging plant in Richmond, BC, and ships all over North America.
Salt Spring Coffee is a certified B Corporation. A B Corporation is an ethical company that puts its profits back into the communities where it operates. Their mission statement reads: “We strive to create positive social impact through responsible business practices.” They have been awarded the title of Best for the World three times.
Fair Trade Certified™ is an independently verified program that ensures producers receive a living wage, safe working conditions, and freedom from forced labor. While you won’t find the Fair Trade logo on SaltSpringCoffee packaging, you will see the Fair for Life logo, which goes beyond traditional Fair Trade by applying Fair Trade principles also to relevant domestic and regional trade and by requiring ethically sourced ingredients along the entire supply chain. The company currently sources its beans from one non-certified producer – Byron Corrales. I wish all companies had this transparency!
Salt Spring Coffee is transparent about the coffee they buy and sell. They don’t require the certification of their farmers, but many of them do use shade as part of their organic growing process. Their goal is to help smaller-scale farmers grow high-quality coffee.
This wonderful little coffee company is committed to reducing its environmental impact. Their commitment to sustainability began when they were just starting out in 2014. Since then, they have reduced their carbon footprint by over 90%, diverted 88% of their waste from landfills, and donated 1 million pounds of food to local charities.
Salt Spring Coffee is an award-winning company that produces high-quality single-origin coffee beans. Its mission is to create a delicious coffee that tastes amazing, is ethically sourced, and is sustainably produced. They also provide education about sustainable practices through their Sustainable Practices Program.
Cafédirect
Highlights are one of the original Fairtrade Coffee companies and still doing great stuff in terms of sustainability, although apparently not Shade-grown and some coffees aren’t fully certified organic. I’m an affiliate for them, so I’ll get a small commission if you buy through my link.
Cafédirect has been supporting Fairtrade since 2002. Over the years, they have invested over £14.5m in Fairtrade premiums. And through their partnership with ProducersDirect, they reinvest up to 50% of profits back into the communities that produce their coffee.
Cafè Direct offers an extensive range of high-quality coffee products. Its mission is to provide customers with the best possible coffee experience. As well as offering great-tasting coffee, they are committed to using sustainable practices wherever possible. They source all of their coffee directly from farms around the world. All of their coffee is grown organically, shade-grown, or certified fair trade. They are currently working towards becoming 100% organic.
Cafédirect is an ethical coffee company founded in the UK. Its mission is to provide high-quality, fair-trade coffee to customers around the globe. They are committed to making sure all farmers receive a fair price for their crops, and that workers are paid a living wage. They source their beans ethically, sustainably, and transparently. They offer a range of single-origin coffees, including organic, shade-grown, and fair trade. They also produce a range of reusable cups and lids made from biodegradable materials.
Grumpy Mule
The highlight is an online shop for ethical products. We source ethically produced goods from around the world. Our mission is to provide you with high-quality products at affordable prices. All our products are carefully selected to ensure we offer the best value for money. We also aim to educate consumers about the issues surrounding the production of certain items. We are proud to say that 100% of our profits go back to charities and organizations that help others.
GrumpyMule currently offers six certified organic coffees, all of which are made using the Swiss Water Process. Their decaffeinated coffee is certified organic, but not shade-grown.
Grumpy Mule is still an independent coffee company, although they’ve been bought by a big corporation. However, they’re still committed to ethical sourcing practices, and their coffee is still fairly high quality. More than 75% of their coffee is certified fair trade, organic, or Rainforest Alliance.
Rise Up Coffee Roasters
Rise Up Coffee started out as a mobile coffee cart in a small town in Maryland called Westminster. Since then, they’ve grown to nine cafes and an active online store. Its mission is to offer high-quality organic and fair trade coffees at affordable prices. They also help farmers get paid fairly for their crops.
I’ve reached out to rising Up for comment and will update if I hear back.
Counter Culture Coffee
Counter Culture Coffee is the pioneer in sustainable coffee. Founded in 1995, it started to pursue coffee perfection through its commitment to environmental, social, and fiscal sustainability. Relationships with farmers and agencies, build trust, improve quality and promote transparency. It also works towards improving the lives of those living around the farms it sources from. Location: Durham, NC.
We source all our coffee beans directly from farmers in Latin America and Africa. We also buy organic, fair trade, single-origin, direct trade, and single producer coffees. We try to avoid buying anything that comes from large plantations because we think the conditions there aren’t always great for workers or the environment. We prefer smaller farms that grow quality coffee. We’re working on getting certifications for our coffee, but right now we just focus on sourcing the best possible coffee.
Counter Culture Coffee is an American company founded in 1990. Since then, they have grown to become one of the largest specialty coffee roasters in the country. They started out selling beans directly to consumers, and today they sell to restaurants and grocery stores all over the United States. They also offer wholesale services to other businesses. They have a unique approach to buying coffee, focusing on farmers and communities instead of just growing high-quality coffee beans. They strive to create a positive impact on the environment, the workers, and the communities where their farms are located.
Grounds for Change Coffee
Grounds for Change Coffee is a small family-owned coffee company located in Washington State. Their goal is to provide the highest quality organic coffee possible while also ensuring that the workers are treated well. They source all of their beans from fair trade farms and shade-grown plantations. They also offer a carbon offset program through TerraPass.
We’re proud to offer fair trade certified coffee. We also source organic coffee beans, rainforest alliance certified coffee, carbon-neutral coffee, bird-friendly coffee, and many other certifications. We try to ensure that every cup we serve meets the highest standards possible.
We source all of our coffee beans ethically and sustainably. We’re proud to say that 100% of our coffee is Fair Trade certified and our Organic Certification meets the stringent Organic Processor Standard enforced by the USDA and Washington State Department of Agriculture and our Coffee is Carbon-Free Certified! That means that the carbon footprint (from bean to cup) is fully offset with tree planting. Many of the coffee beans we buy are grown in shade, which helps to support healthy habitats for migratory birds.
Our Takeaways for the Best Sustainable Coffee Brands
Our environment is under attack. We need to act fast to protect it. If we don’t change our habits, we will lose everything. Businesses are starting to take action to preserve the environment. But it won’t matter if consumers don’t care enough to buy environmentally friendly products. Consumers must start taking responsibility for what they consume. By choosing which coffee to buy, you can help save the planet.