Sustainable Coffee Brands Should Follow These Principles

Having a cup of coffee (or three) is a daily ritual for quite a few Americans (around 243 million). It’s common sense that some daily activities have a negative impact on the world, like driving a vehicle with high emissions or forgetting to turn off a faucet, but what about your Java? With the growing movement towards green practices, it’s essential to use only the great sustainable coffee brands out there. Let’s talk about the different ways you can do that!

Understanding Sustainability

The United Nations defines sustainability as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. While this is intuitive, there is still a ton that goes into making it a reality for many different industries. Thankfully making sustainability a priority at your coffee shop can be as smooth as a cup of chocolate almond from Dilworth. The biggest considerations you’ll want to make are sourcing your materials and ingredients through fair or direct trade, pursuing certifications, valuing the people involved in your processes, and adhering to governmental requirements.

Fair Trade vs Direct Trade

You’ve surely heard these phrases tossed around before, as Fair Trade and Direct Trade are two prominent approaches featured by sustainable coffee brands, each with its own impact on farmers and the environment. However, many don’t understand the difference between the two.

Fair Trade

Fair Trade is a certification program that improves livelihoods, protects the environment, and builds resilient, transparent supply chains. We often only think of climate concerns when discussing sustainability, but this program also supports safe working conditions, community development funds, and sustainable livelihoods across the earth. Achieving a Fair Trade certification is easier than direct trade, so opt for producers that at least have this first level.

Direct Trade

This form of sourcing is technically simpler but has garnered a lot more conversation in the coffee community as of late. It literally means trading directly, in this case, with coffee farms. If you aren’t roasting your coffee yourself, then you’d be purposefully selecting sustainable coffee brands that trade directly with their farmers to promote this form of sourcing in your shop. While all the same principles of fair trade can apply, with a direct relationship, it’s easier to ensure all the standards are being met, and you can even apply your own personal ethics. That said, there is still room for error as roasters can technically trade directly with farms that aren’t sustainable or ethical, so it's essential you do your research and opt for a trusted brand, such as Dilworth.

Environmental Certifications

This is one of the largest barriers to the certifications we covered above, as coffee production isn’t innocent when it comes to the harmful effects of conventional farming like deforestation, pesticide use, and water consumption. It takes a village to right the wrongs of farming years past, and thankfully there are many additional certifications that can help.

Rainforest Alliance Certified

This is a program much like Fair Trade with a strong focus on sustainability. The Rainforest Alliance is committed to protecting and improving forests, human rights, livelihoods, and the climate. They use a robust verification system that includes checks by independent auditors. If you are a sustainable brand looking to get your coffee certified, you’ll need to source from certified farms that are committed to enriching, rather than harming, the land, as well as providing safe and fair working conditions. If you’re an owner, you can get your shop certified too, not only by utilizing a roaster like Dilworth, but through responsible and transparent business practices.

Smithsonian Bird Friendly Certification

Did you know that ¾ of the world's coffee production destroys critical forest habitats and uses harsh chemicals? While having the certifications above certainly helps avoid being part of this statistic, it is great to pursue a Smithsonian Bird Friendly Certification as well. This one specifically targets brands invested in preserving habitats for the animals most affected by the destruction of forests - you guessed it - birds. They ensure that farms feature a mix of foliage cover, tree height, and biodiversity, which helps other wildlife as well.

USDA Organic Standards for Sustainability in Coffee

Organic standards have been around for years, and it's likely the coffee you produce or use already meets this, but if not, it is a great one to pursue. While it doesn’t focus directly on sustainability, its standards meet a lot of the same needs. For your coffee to be organic, it must be grown and processed without the use of toxic and synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, antibiotics, artificial flavors, and more. To keep learning about organic standards, feel free to head over to their website before coming back to finish here.

How Else Can Coffee Shop Owners Practice Sustainability?

While you may have already put some of these practices into action to gain the certifications we covered above, there is still a lot you can do on an individual level to ensure you have a sustainable brand.

• Waste Reduction: Implementing recycling and composting programs can minimize waste and promote environmental sustainability.
• Energy Efficiency: Using energy-efficient equipment and renewable energy sources can reduce your carbon footprint.
• Community Outreach: Engaging with local communities through educational programs, sustainability initiatives, and partnerships not only supports sustainability, but is a great marketing opportunity for your brand.

Shop From Our Sustainable Coffee Brand

At Dilworth, we’re happy to help any roasters pursue sustainability certifications like ours through our consulting program, but if you’re a shop owner looking to pick some coffee, why not give us a shot? At Dilworth Coffee Provision Co., we work with farmers that employ rigorous sustainability practices, and conform to biodiversity standards outlined by organizations like the Rainforest Alliance, the Smithsonian Bird Friendly certification, and USDA Organic standards.

Check out our sustainable coffee blends; we think you’ll be pretty pleased with the flavor as well as what stands behind it.