Socially Responsible Coffee

In an effort to be 100% transparent about how we source our raw, green coffee, all coffee roasted and sold by our company will be marked as Socially Responsible Coffee if it meets the guidelines below. 

Fair trade practices in the coffee industry are extremely important due to the drastic economic disparities that exist across countries. Through its Socially Responsible guidelines, Stone Creek has established a methodology to clearly label our coffee as Socially Responsible where appropriate. It should be noted that within our industry there are varying opinions on what is “fair trade”. Within the fair trade movement, coffee sold as “fair trade” must meet minimum price objectives, promote the social well-being of the farmers and also promote environmental stewardship. However it is our belief that the definition of fair trade should allow for multiple models of fairness and justice. We have attempted to do this in our Socially Responsible guidelines. We are committed to verifying our guidelines either through farm visits or by using third party verification organizations such as Transfair USA.

Our Social Guidelines...the farm or cooperative must:

Allow for freedom of association for harvesters and have participative decision making practices

   - Promote education for harvesters and their families

   - Promote healthy and safe work environments

   - Adhere to UN conventions on rights of children and child labor 
 

 Our Economic Guidelines...the farm or cooperative must:

   - Receive a minimum price for their product as determined by Transfair USA and the Fair Trade Labeling Organization

   - Pay a fair wage to harvesters

   - Have access to pre-harvest financing

   - Have transparent business practices

 

 Our Environmental Guidelines...the farm or cooperative must:

   - Restrict the use of agrochemicals in order to foster biological sustainability

   - Promote the reforestation of native plants and animals