All of our coffee is specialty grade and ethically traded with a focus on relationships and respect for the farm and the farmer. All lots are carefully evaluated based on cup quality, farm process and sustainable practice. We will provide more information on each page for all our single origins!
Most of our products use coffee beans that are USDA Organic as well as Fair-Trade certified, but we can't legally put the branding on our packaging because the facility where we roast and package our coffee isn't a USDA Organic certified facility. It's important to understand that the same certifications must be held for all steps of the coffee process — if one facility doesn't have the certification, then the end product cannot be labeled as such.
Furthermore, many times mindful and ethical small farms are not able to obtain the USDA certification just from the cost alone. This doesn't mean that they are terrible, irresponsible farmers — it's quite the opposite! In short, certifications such as Organic and Fair-Trade are not absolute determinants of quality, since they are programs with barriers for entry that can exceed the abilities of very small scale co-ops in distant countries. It's possible that some even exceed the standards set forth by the USDA, but can't afford to pay into the program and receive the certification!