Organic & Fair Trade

Organic Fair Trade with all its paperwork has led to better quality in the marketplace. Even for above ground non organic and non fair trade. Black Gold movie issue by the coffee underground. Coffee house controversy. Coffee from Ethiopia. Every so often we observe that major issues arise in the coffee industry and almost magically a host of social forces arise from the shadows to challenge. Never underestimate the people power.

No one has ever said to me that they disagree on the fact that certification has not solved poverty. In fact, everyone I talk seriously to I mean insiders mostly agree the real financial benefits have gone to the agency certifiers themselves. In your next email or blog ask them what it cost Ethiopia to make a deal with them All of a sudden one realizes why Ethiopia wants to certify their own products. Reading this page you may too.

The validity question. Does everyone like or need a  major certification emblem of each coffee. No matter what the ambivalence is surrounding the certification titles they do designate higher quality, at least for our business. On the other hand we know that when the roaster hits over 400 degrees any impurities are long gone. It's better than boiling water and that sanitizes ! What threatens the organic and fair trade certification business is believability, and how it burdens or will help societies.

Do poor countries who cannot afford to buy pesticides and nonorganic fertilizers need to pay for certification ? Are there mechanisms to penalize certifiers who require certification while knowing these facts ?  This question has led and is leading the controversy in what could bring down the biggest coffee empires. Hopefully the organic and fair trade certifiers will be penalized as well. We know that while Ethiopia was starving and couldn't provide water for its people outside interests told the Ethiopian government it would cost them 10 million dollars for organic and fair trade status which would lift their market share prices. In a country by the way like Yemen which never used pesticides in the first place ! Could this not have been put on terms for say 20 years or as a loan? Not so. Most of these certifiers are alleged to be from the U.S. Natural coffee beans may have more flavor.

buy our Ethiopia and Yemen coffee

 These companies would argue they have the right to do this, as for the Ethiopians they are collateral damage. In a move, and a correct move in my estimation the Ethiopian government wants to take back control of its market, which could void the organic and fair trade certifications. First by designating as any company could designate its name brand and hierarchy of value. Like xyz brand, good brand, best brand, etc.  There would be an Ethiopia brand or certification. In all estimations when Ethiopia intended to do this it would seem their right and responsibility to secure their own future. A major coffee company who uses the Ethiopia bean as their mainstay has revolted in what has become a political revolt against America's largest coffee business found in every American town.

Our belief is the Ethiopians have a right to certify their own coffee. Then the market will do tell if it was the right decision. They produce an outstanding natural coffee bean as well.

Visit Us For a Taste of Ethiopian Coffee, Coffees and Teas of Yesteryear, 318 Main Street Avon, NJ 07717

Get the whole story of Ethiopian black gold , fair trade wants to distance itself from their role ask them what it cost to make their deal with Ethiopia then read Fair Trade Beat January 2007

a store like ours and begin to order. You might find you need a few moments to orient yourself. After all this is not a cafe you see everywhere. That's it exactly, you can't find the staff that won't talk, making drinks from origins they don't know about, and have hardly traveled walking the streets of an unknown to tourists side of town. With this knowledge we make a different kind of product and we were to some degree made into different kinds of people. People associated with our store will probably never darken the halls of a chain store. Except for the use of their bathrooms. Or taking up space to get to the business next door. Arrogance can be appropriate when you have a history of positive performance, and we have that history of romancing the bean and tea leaf.