Caribou Coffee 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 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.
“Reaching 100 percent certification is a significant accomplishment for Caribou Coffee,” said Trewick in a prepared statement. “I’ve seen how communities thrive from working with the Rainforest Alliance, and I’m proud to say that all of our beans come from sustainable, healthy sources.”
“Caribou Coffee’s achievement sets a shining example, demonstrating that it is entirely possible for companies to meet their sustainability goals,” said Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance. “We are thrilled that our long-standing relationship with Caribou Coffee has helped to improve the livelihoods of coffee farming communities across the globe, while providing consumers with high quality, sustainable coffee.”
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. To find out more on Caribou Coffee and the Rainforest Alliance, visit www.CaribouCoffee.com.
