Counter Culture Direct Trade Certification!

5-19-08

Today, we are proud to introduce the world’s first third-party authenticated Direct Trade coffee certification. Our new Counter Culture Direct Trade Certification, which is designed to better communicate our quality-driven approach to sustainable coffee, engages USDA-accredited Quality Certification Services (QCS) to verify Counter Culture’s compliance with four measures based the guiding principles behind our coffee purchases and relationships with coffee farmers. Each Counter Culture Direct Trade Certified coffee meets the following criteria:

• Personal & direct communication with coffee farmers: Counter Culture has visited grower partners on a biennial basis, at minimum.
• Fair & sustainable prices paid to farmers: Counter Culture has paid at least $1.60/lb. for green coffee. This exceeds the Fair Trade Certified floor price by at least 19%, not including quality-based financial incentives paid to growers.
• Exceptional cup quality: Coffees have scored at least 85 on Counter Culture’s blind 100-pt. cupping (cup quality) scale.
• 100% supply chain transparency: Counter Culture maintains direct communication between buyers, sellers, and any intermediaries. All relevant financial information is available to all parties in the supply chain.

Our personal, direct communication with coffee farmers builds trust and lays the groundwork for long-term, mutually supportive relationships that allow us to work side by side with growers to improve quality; encourage ecologically responsible cultivation methods; assess social practices and working conditions; and learn more about the cultures and people who produce great coffee.

Click here to learn more about Counter Culture Direct Trade Certification.

Best,
Mark