3 Eco Friendly Coffee Roasteries You Should Check Out
Welcome to the last week of October! Days are getting shorter and cooler. Most of us will be drinking more coffee to stay warm. Our caffeine consumption can have a huge negative impact on the environment. Purchasing ethical coffee is an easy way to avoid such effects. Today, let’s look at a few eco friendly coffee roasteries that we could buy beans from to make coffee at home.
1. Biodynamic Coffee
I discovered Biodynamic Coffee from the documentary “Kiss the Ground” on Netflix. “Kiss the Ground'' focuses on how regenerative farming, enriching the soil through organic and natural methods, can reverse climate change. Conventional farming has damaged the soil that our food is grown on. Healthy soil from regenerative farming sequesters carbon out of the atmosphere and uses it to generate healthy life (i.e. plants, insects, microbes, etc.) that comes from the soil. Biodynamic Coffee supports coffee plantations that use regenerative farming methods. As a result, Biodynamic Coffee is helping solve the climate crisis that we are facing today.
Moreover, Biodynamic coffee is certified organic and Fair Trade. By having these certifications, Biodynamic Coffee is supporting the health and welfare of the people that take part in the coffee industry. Organic farming prevents workers from being exposed to dangerous chemicals that are used to kill insects and weeds during the growing process. Fair Trade certifications show that farmers and other employees are paid fairly for their work. If coffee is not certified Fair Trade, there is a high likelihood that child labor and inadequate pay are being experienced during the coffee trade process. These certifications show that Biodynamic Coffee is doing its part to support people in the coffee industry!
Want to learn more about how healthy soil can prevent climate change? Check out “Kiss the Ground” on Netflix or click here to visit Biodynamic Coffee’s website!
2. Ethical Bean
Image from Ethical Bean’s Instagram
I first purchased Ethical Bean’s espresso 2 years ago to use with our De'Longhi espresso machine. It can be difficult to find a bag of beans labelled for espresso and not just dark roast, so I was excited to try them out. We were pleasantly surprised by the deliciousness of the brew! I started looking into the company more, and found out that Ethical Bean truly lives up to the name. A couple was adopting their child from Guatemala when they noticed that coffee farmers are typically extremely underpaid, especially for the price we pay for coffee as the end user. From that experience, Ethical Bean was born -- creating a Fair Trade coffee roasting company.
Over the years, Ethical Bean has expanded on its ethics to more than just Fair Trade. The company uses 100% renewable energy at its roasting facility, is 100% certified organic, established a bag recycling program for their customers, offers biodegradable coffee pods, and they measure their annual carbon footprint. Ethical Bean is definitely doing their part to help the world be a better place to live for everyone.
Not only is the company ethical, but their coffee is absolutely delicious! Check out their website here.
3. Larry’s Coffee
Image from Larry’s Coffee’s Instagram
Larry’s is one of the most eco-friendly coffee roasteries around. The roastery is located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Larry’s Coffee is a certified B-Corporation, meaning that the company strives for the highest standards in social and environmental accountability. Check out B-Crop here!
The roastery is one of the most eco-friendly facilities that I’ve heard of. The building collects rainwater for the water in their restrooms, uses solar to heat the flooring, and has a clear story that allows tons of sunlight into the building to avoid using electricity for lighting. The roastery also composts food and coffee waste to avoid sending waste to the landfill.
Larry’s Coffee is also striving to be eco-friendly through enriching the lives of coffee farmers, roasting mostly organic coffee, and encouraging shade grown coffee methods. Larry’s was a founding member of the Cooperative Coffees which imports directly from coffee farmers. This allows for farmers to get fair pay directly from roasters and avoids the middleman during the process of coffee trading that can negatively take advantage of the people in the industry. Additionally Larry’s Coffee is mostly organic and promotes shade grown methods. These methods of farming protect the environment by avoiding hazardous chemicals that can damage the ecosystem and allows for coffee plants to be grown in forested areas -- decreasing deforestation.
If you’d like to learn more about Larry’s Coffee, you can check out their website here, or you can get a taste of their efforts by ordering their coffee that comes in completely compostable or recyclable packaging from Amazon.
Conclusion
Living a more eco-friendly life is all about new experiences — step out of your comfort zone and try one of these new brands at home. Any of these companies are a great choice for a more sustainable cup of coffee. Comment below what your favorite coffee is! Until the next update, let’s keep making a difference!
