Coffee and Fair Trade

Mmmmm! Who doesn't like coffee? But we want the good stuff, and we want to be responsible. Here's some resources (thanks to the P-I for pointing me to many of these):

TransFair: http://www.transfairusa.org/
"TransFair USA, a non-profit organization, is the only independent, third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the U.S. and one of 20 members of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO). TransFair’s rigorous audit system, which tracks products from farm to finished product, verifies industry compliance with Fair Trade criteria. TransFair allows U.S. companies to display the Fair Trade Certified label on products that meet strict Fair Trade standards"

Equal Exchange: http://www.equalexchange.com/
"Equal Exchange, founded in 1986, is the oldest and largest for-profit Fair Trade company in the US. We offer organic, gourmet coffee, tea, sugar, cocoa, and chocolate bars produced by democratically run farmer co-ops in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Equal Exchange's mission is to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound, to foster mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers and to demonstrate, through our success, the contribution of worker co-operatives and Fair Trade to a more equitable, democratic and sustainable world."

Batian Peak Coffee: http://www.batianpeak.net. "This company is 100% farmer owned. Our farm is located about 60 km from the capital Nairobi, the main varities of Tea grown here are the Assam."

Caffe' Vita Coffee Roasting Co: http://www.caffevita.com/
"Sustainability extends from the local communities we are a part of to the coffee farms that we buy from. Locally, we strive to educate our staff and customers on coffee quality and issues of sustainability. We also support many social service community groups in and around the communities we serve."

They have a delightful blog about looking for good, sustainable coffee: http://vitaonepot.blogspot.com/

Stump Town Coffee: http://www.stumptowncoffee.com/
"Believing in the social, environmental and economic benefits of sustainable business leads us to support not only coffee farms that are committed to the well being of their workers, land and water, it compels us to be a sustainable business in our own community..."

Tony's Coffees & Teas: http://www.tonyscoffee.com/
"Tony's Coffee is licensed to roast and sell Fair Trade Certified coffees by TransFair USA, and also certified by the Washington State Department of Agriculture as an Organic Processor."

Choice Organic Teas: http://www.choiceorganicteas.com/
"Choice Organic will forever disdain the use of environmentally harmful chemicals to cultivate tea."

Enjoy!