Last week I was lucky enough to receive a sample of Green Mountain’s fair trade and organic coffee. I’m such a coffee fiend – I can’t start my morning without it! Upon opening my package, I discovered a sampler pack that included the following varieties: organic breakfast blend, organic french roast, and organic sumatra reserve. My first cup was the breakfast blend and it was great! The coffee was smooth and flavorful – not overly bitter or strong. I only needed a splash of milk to enjoy it.
I think my favorite thing about this coffee is the values of the company behind it. Here are some facts about the Green Mountain Coffee Company (from the website www.greenmountaincoffee.com):
- In 1981, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters hung its shingle on the front of a small café in Waitsfield, Vermont. This café roasted coffee on the premises and formed the base of operations for what was to become one of the nation’s leading specialty coffee companies.
- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is driven by guiding principles such as ethics, passion for coffee, sustainability, communication, appreciating differences, continuous learning, business success, planning & measuring, decision making, personal excellence, leadership, partnerships, vibrant workplace, shared ownership, and world benefit. You can read more about these values by clicking here!
A  product that is “fair trade” is part of system that emphasizes both the  social impact and economic impacts of a a product. The goal of fair trade is to provide living wages to farmers while sustaining the environmental and social standards in the region where the product is produced. Fair trade products (coffee, cocoa, bananas, etc) are often products that are exported to developed countries, from developing coutries. The ultimate goal is to increase economic and social stability in developing countries.
I think this brand of coffee is going to become a part of my morning routine. Hooray for fair trade! And Hooray x 2Â for coffee!
