Sustainably Grown Coffees

There is a lot of discussion in the specialty coffee industry about sustainability.  For the most part, sustainably grown coffee is an umbrella term that refers to coffees that are certified Organic, Shade Grown, and/or Fair Trade.

• Organic Coffees are grown in soil that has been tested for at least five years before planting to make sure that significantly less than trace amounts of chemical fertilizers or pesticides are present.  The grower cannot use any chemicals in producing the coffee.  My local roaster is a fully compliant USDA Certified Organic Handler and proudly displays the USDA Organic symbol on all of our organic coffees.

• Shade Grown (aka “bird friendly”) coffees are grown beneath a canopy of native shade trees.  This prevents the practice of stripping fields of trees, which keeps migratory bird habitats intact.

• Fair Trade coffees do not use the commodity market to determine coffee prices; rather, they trade at or above an artificial floor price that ensures a coffee grower a living wage for his produce.  Currently, the Fair Trade certification is extended only to small cooperatives, leaving many medium and larger estates (which in fact command the higher price) without Fair Trade designation.  My local roaster is proud that over 75% of our coffees are purchased at or above the Fair Trade price, regardless of farm size.

Coffees that have all three of the above certifications are known as Triple Seal Coffees.