Blog — fair trade

An agronomist is an expert in the science of soil and soil management. Why is this so important for the coffee industry? Specific conditions are required for growing healthy coffee such as climate, elevation and soil. Agronomists study soil quality to better understand and gather information on current and future coffee harvests. Without agronomists, coffee (and many other crops) wouldn't be what they are.

Tenzing is a small-scale tea grower in Assam, India. He's committed to organic tea cultivation because he's seen the impact of chemicals firsthand.  Tenzing tells a story of a labourer in a tea garden with a spray pack, full of chemicals.  The container started to leak onto the labourer's neck. The labourer urgently took off his shirt to rinse in a nearby pond. As he rinsed the shirt, fish died and floated to the pond's surface. Upon witnessing this event, Tenzing committed to organic tea production!

Don Israel is the face of our dried mango. Don Israel (‘Don’ is the Spanish prefix to show respect) grows organic mango on his land in Vereda Guacana, Colombia. He owns approximately eight hectares of land which supports the work of two farming families and eight additional families during harvest time. Through converting to organic practices, Israel says he has gained a new sense of appreciation for sustainable practices and an increased environmental awareness. Most notably, he is motivated to continue to grow sustainably for the future! Don Israel sells his mangoes to Fruandes, receiving a fair price for his crops. Visiting Don...

In September, we took a fantastic trip to Pangoa, Peru, an area where we’ve been buying coffee since 2005. We want to share the experiences our Director of Coffee, Joshua, and our Head Roaster, David, had in Peru. We believe in connection — ones made by sharing our coffee with you, as well as with the farmers and communities where we source our fair trade beans. To continue fuelling these bonds, one of our favourite things to do is visit these communities. We want to immerse and educate ourselves about the culture, connect with the farmers and producers face-to-face, and...