Being committed to excellent coffee also means being committed to quality, sip after sip. Which differentiators turn the average cup of coffee into a quality brew? Think three words and one meaningful purpose: Fair Trade coffee. Fair Trade is a global trade model and certification which allows consumers to identify products that are produced in an ethical manner. So, what does Fair Trade mean for your cup of joe?
Fair Trade ensures quality as well as ethical business practices. To achieve Fair Trade certifications, coffee importers and distributors must operate by a higher standard when doing business with coffee farmers. For farmers, Fair Trade means better prices, improved terms of trade and the ability to produce a high-quality product. Fair Trade offers farmers a minimum price, creating long-term sustainability and, overall, a higher quality product.
H.C. Valentine is committed to environmental awareness and social responsibility. We, along with our sister company, Royal Cup, actively support and engage with Fair Trade USA in an effort to identify programs that support specific projects on one or more farms from which we buy our coffee. In 2014, we increased our output of Fair Trade USA Certified coffee by 60 percent, from 250,000 to 400,000 pounds. One of our favorite H.C. Valentine coffees, the 100% Fair Trade Organic Mayan Roast, is a Fair Trade, medium-roasted, Certified Organic coffee which comes from Central America. This coffee offers aromas and notes of citrus, pecans, cashews, cocoa, and caramel with a medium to full body and a sweet, nutty finish.
We take our responsibility seriously and partner with organizations that bolster local communities and ensure that farmers will continue to reap great harvests year after year— meaning a better cup of coffee for consumers both today and tomorrow.