A roaster claiming to sell Bird-Friendly coffee when it is not serves as a reminder that if you are unsure about the certification claims, you should check with the certifier
Revised on November 28, 2020Certifications
A recent article notes that more producers in central Kenya are turning to organic coffee in order to take advantage of price premiums. This is welcome news, as over the last 15 years or so, Kenya has been one of…
Revised on January 7, 2022This blog focuses on sustainable coffee specifically as it pertains to the environment. I’ve written some about Fair Trade, because there is a connection between poverty and environmental degradation. But Fair Trade is complex, and the issues surrounding Fair Trade…
Revised on May 20, 2021There’s a nice article in the New York Times today describing the specialty coffee industry and the workings and benefits of direct trade. The title, “To Burundi and Beyond for Coffee’s Holy Grail,” sort of misses the point, but it…
Revised on November 14, 2019One of C&C’s favorite roasters, Caffe Pronto in Maryland, has just received Bird-Friendly certification from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Most people associate the SMBC certification with farms, but roasters may also participate. Obviously, they need to sell SMBC certified…
Revised on June 17, 2018A summary table of the criteria used for shade certification by Rainforest Alliance, and Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (under the “Bird-Friendly” trademark).
Revised on March 6, 2019Field-testing ecological and economic benefits of coffee certification programs.
Revised on November 2, 2010One of the major criteria a roaster must meet to get favored nation status on the left sidebar as a source of sustainable coffee is transparency. C&C is all about educating consumers on how to recognize and appreciate sustainable coffee….
Revised on December 1, 2018Last week I posted about the recent U.S. Department of Agriculture ruling which will require every farm in a cooperative to be inspected annually in order to receive organic certification. It was feared this would make organic certification too expensive…
Revised on January 15, 2022An article in Salon outlines a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture ruling which will require every farm in a cooperative to be inspected annually in order to receive organic certification. Previously, about 20% of the farms were inspected annually. The…
Revised on November 14, 2019Book: Organic Coffee: Sustainable Development by Mayan Farmers by Maria Elena Martinez-Torres. This book is based on a PhD dissertation, but has been skillfully adapted and is very readable while still preserving the excellent information including tables, charts, and references….
Revised on January 7, 2022Last month, a number of coffee bloggers, including C&C, received an offer from a public relations firm offering samples of Millstone Coffee Company’s organic line. Millstone is a coffee brand of the global conglomerate Procter & Gamble. There are five…
Revised on November 22, 2020All about UTZ Certified standards and certification, with an emphasis on environmental criteria. Updated several times since original posting date.
Revised on January 7, 2022Every so often when I am researching a coffee farm to determine if their methods preserve biodiversity, I come across one that uses “biodynamic” farming methods; some are even certified by the Demeter Association. What the hell is biodynamic farming?…
Revised on November 28, 2020KLM Royal Dutch Airlines joins Asiana Airlines (Korea) and ANA (Japan) in pledging to serve Rainforest Alliance certified coffee on all its flights. KLM serves 22 million cups of coffee annually. This is a step in the right direction, but…
Revised on November 22, 2020