Just Coffee Cooperative

One principle of fair trade is encouraging environmental stewardship in every step of the coffee chain. Not only does Just Coffee work with certified organic farmers, but we also work to encourage farmers to overcome the barriers to organic certifications and/or farming using sustainable practices. Once farmers stop using chemicals on their trees, they must wait three long years before they are able to acquire an organic certification-- even if they are following organic practices during that time. This deters many farmers from making the sacrifice to improve the health of their farms, communities, and the planet. Because of an initial drop in production yields, more labor-intensive techniques associated with organics, and high certification costs, making the commitment to switch from conventional production is not always an easy decision. This is in part because during those three transition years, they do not benefit from higher yields nor the higher prices that can be obtained with an organic certification. Currently the USDA will not even allow "transitional organic" on labels to let consumers know that they are buying a coffee from a farmer attempting to make the change and following good practices. So, there is almost no market for these in-between beans.

If you know Just Coffee, you know that to us, it’s about much more than just a label. Close relationships with producer cooperatives allow for open discussion, a space for mutual understanding, and make alternative agreements possible. This year, we’re happy to announce that we are supporting farmers from the Yachil Zapatista Cooperative in Chiapas, Mexico in their transition to sustainable practices by providing not only a market, but also an increased price. You can find this phenomenal coffee in our Peace on Earth Holiday Blend, and soon to be included in Solidarity Blend. 

Delivered by Bike from D.M Hughes on Vimeo.

The recent news that TransFair USA (aka Fair Trade USA) left the International Fair Trade certification (FLO) system was accompanied by a palpable shock wave across the "fair trade movement". The thought that the highest profile and arguably most successful FLO National Initiative would disconnect from the mother ship was not something anyone watching FT developments really saw coming. The main issue in TFUSA's departure is a desire to open fair trade certification to coffee plantations and farms that are not organized cooperatively-- seemingly at the behest of Starbucks, Green Mountain, and other large licensees. Other fair trade certified products such as tea and fruit already include plantations, but the FT coffee sector has always been the exclusive domain of democratic cooperatives made up of small-scale farmers who are trying to hold on to their land. FLO apparently refused to go along with plantations in the FT coffee sector hence the irreconcilable differences between TFUSA and FLO.