Salt Spring Coffee Co.
Salt Spring Island, BC
Many people consider it relaxing to sit back and enjoy a hot cup of coffee, but when you think about where coffee comes from, it is anything but relaxing. Small scale coffee farmers with just a few acres must tend thousands of bushes to earn as little as $5 US per day because one coffee bush produces only one pound of coffee each year. Farmers are at the end of a long supply chain, so typically they only get 10% of the retail price of their coffee.
The Salt Spring Coffee Company is one of the few responsible BC coffee retailers that has addressed this issue head-on by choosing to buy coffees that are certified Fair Trade. This trademark guarantees that the coffee producers get a fairer price for their coffee and it also ensures decent conditions for workers. This is especially important for the thousands of children who are forced to work 12 or more hours a day on coffee plantations.
The Salt Spring Coffee Company also cares about the environment. They sell a full line of organic and shade tree grown coffees. Shade tree grown coffee is grown within forests, instead of in an open plantation. This signals a return to traditional growing practices and in the process it preserves habitat for birds, sustains rainforests, eliminates the need for herbicides and pesticides and in the end produces a better tasting cup of coffee. Also, coffee growers much prefer working in the shade than the hot tropical sun!
For these reasons, and because their coffee is absolutely delicious, we at Spud proudly support The Salt Spring Coffee Company. If you drink coffee, give it a try. You'll be hard pressed to find a coffee elsewhere that not only tastes good, but makes you feel good as well!
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