Organic/Fair Trade

We at Bean North believe that being a self-proclaimed and widely-recognized Fair Trade company means we need to honestly and openly fulfill every aspect of Fair Trade, which is much more than just a higher price. First and foremost, Fair Trade is a long-term, equitable partnership between farmers and roasters. Total transparency allows all actors to operate at the same level, without concealing anything, which is an essential part of what Fair Trade should and can be.

By being fully transparent on both sides of the supply chain, both trust and equality can enter the equation in the formation of a true partnership. Bean North wanted to go above and beyond in demonstrating our level of commitment to Fair Trade, and thus to transparency. Through Cooperative Coffees, we are proud to be involved with Fair Trade Proof, an online transparency tool that allows the user to view every piece of paperwork involved in bringing coffee from farmer to roaster. Without proof, anyone can say anything. This site is part of our effort to provide total transparency in the coffee importation process.

The website allows the user to do several different things. The homepage shows you a map of all coffee roasters (brown beans) and producers (green beans) involved. Check out the producer cooperatives Bean North has a working relationship with by clicking on 'our' coffee bean. This member map shows you where our coffees come from - then select the producer cooperative you're interested in by clicking on a green bean.

Click on the word Contract in the top right corner to see more details. Select Producers or Countries to read about the cooperatives: see the social premium investments they received and learn about recent projects the co-op completed. Or select Products to see a complete list of our single origin coffee & blends: scroll down to the coffee you just purchased to find out where it originates. Fair Trade Proof walks you through everything!

Please take a look around and tell us what you think. As consumers, retailers, roasters, importers, or producers, we need to start demanding higher levels of transparency from the world around us and decide to be better informed. With truth (and proof of the truth), comes the power to make things better. This online tool strives to provide a step in that direction.

Click here to read more about the Fair Trade system of exchange - FAQs and Myths.