More than 12 billion pounds of coffee is produced annually and this popular beverage can have a positive impact on our planet - when done right.
There is growing consumer demand for fairly traded and Organic coffee, which is often cultivated by small-scale farmers on diverse plots alongside food and shade trees. Organic coffee is grown without the use of toxic pesticides, and farming communities use fair trade premiums to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Fairly traded Organic coffee farming puts our planet ahead of profits by using varieties of plants that thrive in the shade. While this makes cultivation and harvesting harder, the environmental footprint is much smaller than for conventional farming. In fact, Equal Exchange sources some of their beans from farmers who grow the plants on land that abuts diverse and delicate biosphere preserves in Mexico, Peru and El Salvador.
With so much at stake for our environment, these farmers need your support. You can help expand the market for fairly traded Organic coffee!
Sign to support a sustainable and resilient coffee growing system. By signing, you are sending a clear message to producers and retailers that you plan to purchase small and sustainable - whether that means buying at your local farmer's market or purchasing from a brand with established decades-long relationships with small farmer co-operatives.
