MINNEAPOLIS (Commodity Online): Caribou Coffee has announced that all coffees and espresso are now sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms, making it the first major U.S. coffeehouse to reach this sustainable achievement.
Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms meet the comprehensive standards of the Sustainable Agricultural Network (SAN), which is a coalition of independent, nonprofit conservation groups. The certification is built on three pillars of sustainability – environmental, social and economic.
Caribou Coffee first started working with the Rainforest Alliance in 2003, as the Midwest-based coffee retailer began its highly engaged, field to cup practice. Last April, Caribou Coffee has announced an aggressive goal of sourcing 100 percent of the coffee across all their products from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms by the end of 2011.
To obtain a thorough understanding of the Rainforest Alliance certification process, Caribou Coffee’s Senior Director of Coffee and Tea, Chad Trewick, travels around the world to source the highest-quality beans from the best growing regions.
While visiting various points of origin, Trewick meets one-on-one with farmers to cultivate a special relationship and build a mutual understanding of the economic and social impacts that come from achieving Rainforest Alliance certification.
All coffee and espresso based beverages sold in-store at Caribou Coffee now carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal, as well as all coffee items sold online or in commercial retail locations.
Caribou Coffee Company is one of the leading branded coffee companies in the United States, with a compelling multichannel approach to their customers.
