Amazing Social/Environmentally Just Coffee Roasters

#1: Post by **guydebord** » May 19th, 2019, 10:46 am

Pushing 3rd wave's call for fairer labor, environmental and social practices in the specialty coffee world, I am opening this thread to specifically discuss and recommend exceptionally committed roasters that are putting out amazing beans. A great example would be Olympia Coffee, recommended to me by @Stanford55 this roaster is a B Corp and clearly goes far above the norm to better the livelihood of the farmers as well as the environment. Their good practices consist of:

1. Certified B Corporation https://www.olympiacoffee.com/blogs/blo ... orporation
2. Fair for All Program + True Direct Trade partnerships (verifiable) http://fairforall.coffee
3. Pursuit of Organic farming and other environmentally responsible practices

By today, a lot of coffees are certified by the Rain Forest Alliance, Fair Trade and some have organic certifications; a lot of roasters also show pictures of farmers in their websites and present their bean offers with names of such farms, which is great, however this doesn't speak directly to the roasters principles directly as in many cases the beans they buy from traders come with this certification and they are not fully committed to just working with coffees that are know to embody fairer farming practices. Adding to this, many small farmers are not able to afford the cost of certifications, thus only the larger ones make it to this market even though their practices could meet or exceed the standards requested. In short a marketing a certification is not enough a commitment to qualify for this thread, even Starbucks does it

What other roasters do you know that deserve a mention and which beans from them would you recommend?

#2: Post by **drgary** » May 19th, 2019, 11:45 am

Nossa Familia in Portland. We did a very positive review of their Full Cycle blend. They sell a wide variety of coffees and roast styles. Their Director of Coffee is Rob Hoos, a well-known author, teacher and consultant for roasters, who is also kind and humble when you meet him. Here's Nossa's page on their community giveback program.

https://www.nossacoffee.com/giveback

They also source some of their coffees from their family farms. You can browse their site for their support of sustainability and other topics.

#3: Post by **Stanford55** » May 19th, 2019, 1:01 pm

Jibicho Natural by Olympia Coffee is sensational. My espresso machine cannot handle lighter roasts, so I went the pour over route with this bean. Bright, fruity flavors with a touch of cocoa. I paired it with a chemex and lido3. Nice clarity and flavor profile, no cream or sugar required.

Not to delve too deeply into the muddy waters of politics and climate change, but suffice it to say unpredictable (and intensifying) weather patterns have threatened coffee farms around the world. It's good to see companies like Nossa Familia and Olympia trying to make a difference.

#4: Post by **Chert** » May 22nd, 2019, 11:08 am

Thanksgiving coffee is the one I always think of in this regard. A pioneer in this regard, but others mentioned here are adding the environmental piece.

#5: Post by **jpender** » May 22nd, 2019, 11:52 am

Bicycle Coffee (Oakland and Los Angeles, California)

They don't ship their coffee. They deliver the freshly roasted beans to local stores by bicycle (and probably use public transport to cross the bay to SF).

Maybe not "amazing" but pretty decent stuff.