Roasted - this is a term you can safely ignore. ALL coffee is roasted what differs is the amount of roasting time and the level of heat used to roast. Roasting, unless a company is boasting that they use some sort of renewable energy to roast with, is not a sustainable coffee term.

Natural - means nothing. All coffee is natural – well, until coffee companies mess with it, but the actual term natural does not mean you’re getting better, greener coffee. It’s a marketing term plain and simple.

Fair Trade – You should look for this term if you want brew that’s putting more cash in the pockets of the coffee maker – basically it’s coffee sold sans a trader. NOTE: it is very important to recognize the distinction between “Fair Trade” and an organizational term such as TransFair USA. The difference here is that “Fair Trade” does not guarantee fair wages for coffee harvesters while “TransFair USA” does. If you want ethical coffee, look for an organizational term that does mean fair wages and working conditions for workers.

Also important to note is that Fair Trade does not mean greener coffee. Sustainable and Fair Trade do connect on some levels but Fair Trade alone does not mean that a coffee is without pesticides.

Organic - Organic coffee that’s been certified by the USDA or the OCIA is green coffee in that it’s been grown and produced without the addition of pesticides or herbicides.

Sustainable – I consider this an iffy term as a stand alone. There is no official “Sustainable” label. However, if a company says they’re making sustainable coffee it usually (if they’re being honest) means they use green and ethical practices such as organic growing, Fair Trade, using renewable energy, reducing fuel consumption, using recyclable pacakging, and so fourth. The issue is that sustainable is very broad and since it’s not regulated you should check into the company background.

Rainforest Alliance – this label or certification, sometimes seen as shade-grown or bird safe is certified by the, yup you guessed it, the Rainforest Alliance. This organization works with farmers and other businesses throughout the world to ensure that their goods and services are environmentally and socially friendly. I’m personally not a fan of third-party certification because their criteria is usually too easily adapted to meet regional-specific needs which makes it fuzzy. However, the Rainforest Alliance is a trustworthy source in my opinion because they offer a lot of transparent info at their site so this is a good eco label to look for.

Besides considering all of the above, you should also consider packaging (is it recyclable, printed with soy inks, etc.). Normally I’d also say go local to keep your carbon footprint down, but as of right now, unless you grow coffee at home, local means Hawaii only. The rest of the coffee in the world comes from out of the states. Which sadly means I really need some coffee carbon credits to offset my addiction.

Later we’ll see some good organic coffee choices for the holiday – ooooo, and maybe some treats to go with said coffee!

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Grab Some Green Holiday Coffee

What are you brewing in?

• There’s no such thing as a certified green coffee maker, but that doesn’t mean you’re totally in the dark. Head over to  The Department of Energy where you can estimate your coffee maker’s energy consumption. If your maker is wasting loads of energy, make sure when you next trade up, you buy a more energy efficient machine.
• Try a lower energy use French Press.
• Unplug your machine when it’s not actually brewing. If you want to keep your coffee hot, transfer it to a reusable thermos.
• Inhabitat has an in-depth post, GREEN YOUR APPLIANCES! Coffee Makers that will fill you in on more about coffee makers.

Other tips:

• Buy a reusable coffee filter.
• If you buy bulk beans or bulk ground coffee, take your own small reusable bags to the store rather than using the store’s plastic baggies.
• Compost your coffee grounds.

A small sampling of green coffee vendors (plus a couple of fun links):

• Rogers Family Gourmet Coffee & Tea Market
• Costa - UK based
• Guido’s Fresh Marketplace
• New Harvest Coffee Roasters
• Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee info
• Organic coffee info

BONUS GREEN COFFEE TIP: Make Your Own Coffee Drinks & Snacks.

[image via Free Pixels]

Post from: Blisstree

How To Brew Greener Coffee

Here are some general eco-terms you may see on coffee packaging:

Umbrella terms:

“Green coffee” – doesn’t mean much, unless followed up by another term (see below).

“Natural coffee” – also means little. Unless, like “green” the term is followed by another.

“Sustainable coffee” – IF you grow sustainable coffee, it would mean doing things like using minimal water, using composted soils, organic soil fertilizers, and natural energy sources to grow the beans. It could also mean the company offices use energy efficient techniques and so on. Sustainable is good, but you have to check out a company to see if they’re actually using sustainable practices. Any old Joe can say, “I’m sustainable” but this isn’t some official term.

Terms that mean more than the terms above:

“Fair Trade coffee” – Coffee that’s labeled as Fair Trade is coffee that is sold sans coffee trader which leaves more cash in the pockets of those who produce said coffee. If you’re looking to buy coffee that actually pays the harvesters a fair wage look for certification from organizations like TransFair USA. Learn more about Fair Trade coffee.

“Organic coffee” – There are various organic labels some mean more than others. If it’s certified organic coffee then it’s been produced without pesticides or herbicides. Learn more about organic labels.

“Shade grown – bird safe coffee” – Coffee that is Rainforest Alliance Certified is grown in such a way that it won’t damage the natural habitat. You can learn more about this label at the coffee portion of the Rainforest Alliance.

THE FINAL SAY:

Text on coffee packaging is tricky.  Words are just that, words. What matters more is how a company actually functions and the only way you can know that is by researching the terms and the coffee company.

Coming soon; places to get greener coffee and other tips that can help you keep your brew-time sustainable.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

What Green Coffee Terms Mean