While shocking headlines about the Amazon rainforest fires seem like they are a world away, most Java Love beans are sourced from farms in countries where the rainforest lies. Our South American beans come from these lush mountain ranges where sun and soil are optimal. It is for this reason that the burning of the Amazon rainforest hits close to home at Java Love Coffee Roasters.
Some of our baristas have had the opportunity to visit one of these farms: Hacienda La Minita’s site outside of San Jose, Costa Rica. Two of those trips have been commemorated through blog posts, which you can read here and here . Both employees mentioned how Hacienda La Minita guarantees fair wages and health coverage to their employees while maintaining the integrity of the rainforest’s natural landscape to better their growing practices for the workers as well as the consumers. These sustainability efforts are the result of longstanding coffee-growing traditions, but they are partly upheld by the Rainforest Alliance.
A farm that is certified by the Rainforest Alliance demands protection for its employees and the grounds on which the coffee is grown and harvested. One of the expectations of their certified farms includes leaving hundreds of acres of forest as-is, meaning the trees on this land cannot be cleared for the farm. The Rainforest Alliance mandates sustainable growing techniques, which they list on their website. These include working with the topography of the land to preserve nutrients in the soil, erring away from the use of toxic pesticides, and reusing natural waste for compost. These efforts are tremendously important to the preservation of Amazonian land, especially because the fires that are tearing through the rainforest are caused by deforestation for tourism and agriculture.
The Amazon rainforest is home to a diverse array of plants, animals, and people whose quality of life is immediately linked to the well-being of the rainforest. Beyond that, the dense tree population contributes to the regulation of oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere (and that’s for everyone, folks). In our effort to combat the slashing and burning of trees in the Amazon, Java Love is proud to introduce our new Love to Re-Use program. Through our diligent recordkeeping and the participation of our eco-conscious customers, we will plant a tree for every 2,000 reusable cups we fill.
When you walk into Java Love and order coffee, you probably don’t consider how it reaches your cup beyond the barista at the counter. This phenomenon is a symptom of how we consume everything from clothes on the rack to food in the grocery store. There is a system behind our coffee that operates on a much larger scale than what you see in-store. This operation relies on the contributions of many in order to run smoothly: the farms where our coffee is picked and prepared, the airlines that deliver them to Newark International Airport, our roasting team, and all the hands that touch the beans before they are brewed into your morning cup. By choosing ethically-sourced coffee from Java Love, you are an equally important part of this cycle.
Image belongs to CNN.com
