As you're browsing our coffee list, you'll notice that our beans are labeled with seals and certifications. The icons represent approaches to sustainability and quality in the coffee market. Here are some brief definitions of the terms we use.
- Cup of Excellence
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Cup of Excellence is a prestigious award program that provides premium prices to farmers. Each year, growers can submit their coffee samples to a national competition. Winning coffees are chosen by an international panel of judges and sold to the highest bidder during a competitive web auction. These farmers earn record-breaking prices and gain access to a wide market.
- Fair Trade
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Fair Trade is an international program that aims to make the global commodity market more sustainable. Participating farm cooperatives must pay to be certified, and in return, they receive a fair minimum price for any coffee they sell. To be certified, coffee farms must meet standards for fair labor, environmental sustainability, and community development.
- Organic
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In the United States, "Organic" is a federally regulated certification. Requirements for organic coffee production include farming without synthetic pesticides or other chemicals for three years and a sustainable crop rotation plan that helps to prevent erosion, forestall depletion of soil nutrients, and control for pests.
- Rainforest Alliance
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Rainforest Alliance is a non-profit organization that works to conserve wildlands and promote the well-being of farmers and their communities. Among their strict requirements for coffee certification: 100% organic, reduced water pollution, less soil erosion, pesticide prohibitions, farmer protections, and natural shade protection.
- Relationship Coffee
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Relationship coffee is a new model of coffee trading, where roasters and growers work together to establish a long-term trading partnership. This relationship can continue over many years. The trading process is transparent — farmers gain bargaining power through knowledge, and receive a fair price that is not vulnerable to commodity market fluctuations.
- Shade Grown
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Shade grown coffee is cultivated under a canopy of trees. By preserving these shade trees, farmers encourage biodiversity, especially among birds. There are many types of shade, from partial to full, under old-growth forest or specifically planted canopy trees. Shade grown coffee is sometimes thought to taste better, since the beans take a longer time to ripen and develop more flavor when they're not in full sunlight.
- Smithsonian Bird Friendly
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Bird Friendly is a certification administered by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. The program inspects farms and certifies that their coffee is 100% shade-grown and organic. By retaining forest canopies and avoiding the use of pesticides, Bird Friendly coffees maintain important bird habitats and encourage biodiversity.
- Utz Certified
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Utz Certified is a comprehensive certification program that improves the market for both farmers and consumers. In return for meeting strict environmental, labor, and quality standards, Utz Certified growers recieve a premium price for their coffees. Among the requirements: coffee must be shade grown; farmers must practice water conservation; workers must have access to schools, healthcare, and housing; and farms must keep detailed records to track quality and environmental impact.