The importance of Coffee certifications and recyclable packaging
Coffee is one of the world’s most traded commodities. It is also the economic backbone of countries throughout Latin America, Asia and Africa. Yet smallholder farmers in these coffee-growing regions face many challenges, including poverty, commodity price fluctuations and increasingly erratic rainfall patterns caused by climate change.
Therefore it is becoming increasingly more important to both the consumer and supplier to provide ethically sourced coffee. We are now growingly more aware of our environments, the people and the impact we are having on both.
Fairtrade coffee, very simply, is produce that is brought from a certified farmer at a fair and equal price that does not go lower than the current market value. Fairtrade endeavors to provide better price, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for the people involved. The focus is on people and ensuring they can continue to provide for both their families and local communities. We proudly offer our Sourced Decaf Fairtrade Coffee Beans, available here.
Fairtrade organic coffee is very similar to the above, it adopts the same principle of a fair price for a certified farmer but pesticides or chemicals would not have been used.
The Rainforest Alliance works with sustainable coffee farmers to improve their livelihoods and the health and well-being of their communities. Coffee farms or groups of smallholder farmers that earn the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal are audited annually against a rigorous standard with detailed environmental, social and economic criteria. These criteria are designed to protect biodiversity, deliver financial benefits to farmers, and foster a culture of respect for workers and local communities. Rainforest Alliance certification also promotes decent living and working conditions for workers, gender equity and access to education for children in farm communities. Achieving certification also helps farmers reach new markets, negotiate better prices, improve their access to credit and earn a premium on their beans that they can use to build a more economically secure future.
Additionally, Sourced recognises the importance of making good choices around the impact our business has on the environment. Not only do we focus on using only the highest quality coffee, sustainably grown and sourced, but we have carefully chosen sustainable packaging, to contribute to a more environmentally friendly economy.
All of our SOURCED products are packaged in No. 4 LDPE recyclable film. Aligned with WRAP’s vision (Waste & Resource Action Plan). LDPE is used to make thin, flexible products like plastic bags. The coffee film we use can be recycled, a small action that will have a big impact on the future of our planet. So you can continue to enjoy your Sourced coffee, with peace of mind it has been sourced and packaged sustainably.