Coffee farmers have a history of being exploited. While the coffee industry is booming, farmers remain poor and hardly makes a living wage. There has been a history of underpaid labor and even forced labor, which concerns social activists and the common coffee consumer.
This is why it is essential to know whether the cup of coffee you are starting your day with is ethically sourced. This article is an eye-opener for all coffee lovers. We will discuss what ethically sourced coffee is and why it is vital to make sure you have only ethically sourced coffee. Make sure every sip of morning coffee is from a planet-caring cup.
What is Ethically Sourced Coffee?
When we say ethically sourced about any other product, not only coffee, it means that we support the local farmers, the environment, and the coming generations. It means you make sure you buy coffee from manufacturers and companies that only do business with farmers who actively support the environment.
Ethically sourced coffee means that the coffee you buy from a company is improving the living conditions of small farmers producing these coffee beans.
It is the labor of their year's work, and consumers like to know where coffee beans come from. Consumers also want to know - are companies or producers contributing to the community by taking developmental initiatives?
Know Where Your Beans Come From
We want to make sure coffee growers have the right tools to grow, the right tools to facilitate their work and improve their living standards.
Ethically sourced products mean you are sharing responsibility with many others to conserve the sources and protect the environment.
It means that the company is directly involved with only producers and farmers that follow a strict set of rules about sustainable living.
Coffee Farmers Have Been Exploited
Farmers have a history of being exploited. They sweat and put in a lot of labor to grow the cherries and process them into coffee beans.
Giant corporates take advantage by paying as little as possible, without regard to the betterment of the farmers.
The coffee industry has a history of underpaid labor. This social awareness, at least, puts pressure on manufacturers to show responsibility and practice ethical measures to ensure the living standard of farmers and the environment.
Certifications
Certifications like Ethically Sourced, Fair Trade, Organic, and Rainforest Alliance have ensured that big corporate companies are accountable for how they source their coffee beans.
By buying only ethically sourced coffee, consumers share responsibility towards the global environment.
What Ethically Sourced Coffee Stands for?
The first concern of ethically sourced coffee is the protection and well-being of small farmers. It means that a fair price is given to the farmer that covers not only the cost of production along with a margin of profit for farmers.
Manufacturers follow strict guidelines to improve the standard of small farmers. It also stresses manufacturers' responsibility to do business with farmers practicing only eco-friendly growing methods.
Why Is Ethically Sourced Coffee Essential?
Quality coffee, like Arabica, is traded in stock markets that dictate its global price depending on demand and supply. In the late 90s, the unexpected flooding of excess supply crashed the market, operating it at meager costs.
During this period, farmers were highly underpaid, leading most of them into debt and abandoning their land. This trend of high sales and low prices caused unrest in organizations like Fair Trade, which came forward to protect farmers' rights.
Companies buying these coffee beans can do their part by trading directly with small farmers, and pay a fair wage. The responsibility doesn't end here - companies should also know who's roasting the coffee, and who's bagging the coffees - and make sure everyone along the chain is paid a fair wage.
How Does Ethically Sourced Coffee Affect Consumers?
Despite a shared responsibility to protect farmers and the environment, ethically sourced coffee is healthier for consumers. It's free of pesticides or artificial fertilizers. The coffee you are brewing is natural, just like organic food that we all want without any chemicals. Consumers can rest assured with certification that the measures have been taken at all production levels.
How to Ensure You are Buying Ethically Sourced Coffee?
We all want to share the responsibility, but this ethically sourced coffee is not a certificate the manufacturer can share, and consumers know they are buying the right products. So here are a few certifications you can check before selecting the brand.
Certificates
- USDA Organic seal
- Fair Trade Certificate
- Rainforest Alliance
- Direct Trade
- Shade Grown
- Bird-Friendly
- UTZ
- Proudly Made in Africa
Information on The Company Selling the Beans
Research the brand you are buying from. Fancy packaging should not lure you into thinking it's a reliable brand. The brand messaging should be clear - their ethical values, certification, and role in the environment.
There can also be other information about where the coffee beans were sourced and companies' commitment to workers, farmers, and the environment.
The information you need to look for is as follows:
- Growing procedures
- Certificates
- Labor policies
- Cultural and social awareness
- Transparency
Parachute Coffee Sources Directly From Farmers
Everyone has the global responsibility of farmer rights protection and a sustainable environment. It's a shared responsibility, and each one of us is accountable.
Manufacturers and big companies are responsible for paying the right wages to the farmers and helping them with tools.
At Parachute Coffee, we trade directly with the farmer and skip the middleman. We also roast and bag our own bags, so when you buy a bag of Parachute Coffee, you know that everyone is compensated fairly.
What's in a Box of Parachute Coffee?
We source directly from farmers, and keep the same farmers for most of our dark and medium beans. Farmers know they have orders coming well ahead of time and this helps them plan ahead.
For our Limited Roast, we research the world and find you the best beans each month - we also only trade directly with farmers.
Each month you'll receive a postcard that tell you details about the farmer and the coffee beans. You'll also get a tasting note from our roastery! Enjoy notes of lavender, chocolate, pistachios, etc.... Every month is different! Let your taste buds rejoice!
Subscribe today and save $5 when you enter code WELCOME5 at checkout.
Examples of Past Roasts:
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