Fresh, Fair Trade, and Organic

There’s a whole lot of good in each cup of our coffee.

Conventional coffee is cheap because companies buy it at prices that aren’t fair to farmers in the world’s developing countries. In fact, market prices for green coffee beans are barely enough for these farmers to earn a living.

At St. Joseph Island Coffee Roasters, we purchase green coffee beans as directly as possible from the farmers. This removes the middlemen who profit at their expense. As a result, farmers get a fair price for their beans and are encouraged to adopt sustainable, organic growing techniques that respect the land.

Fair Trade Certified, organic farming practices are one of the fastest-growing segments in agriculture. Organic farming protects the farmers, wildlife, water systems, you, and us, from harmful chemicals. Fair trade helps farmers and their workers earn enough to improve the lives of their families and build healthier, more prosperous communities.

All of our coffees are Fair Trade Certified by TransFair Canada who is a member of the Fairtrade Labeling Organization. We are a Licensee of TransFair Canada and our FLO ID number is 22717.

The majority of our beans are certified organic. Why do we say “majority?”

Organic certification is a timely process and not all of our coffee suppliers are there yet. For instance, our Kenyan coffee is not certified but we continue to buy it because it’s delicious and we feel it is important to do business with the farmers in that country. That said, Fair Trade Certified cooperatives have environmental standards that restrict the use of agrochemicals and encourage sustainability.

To call our coffee “organic” we also have to get our roasting facility certified. Again, this is a long, slow process. We are working on it.

For more information on Fair Trade Certification, go to www.transfair.ca.

We are the only coffee roaster in Northern Ontario that guarantees good taste. If our coffee fails to meet your expectations, you can send it back at our expense.