If your morning routine is anything like ours, you can’t get going without a cup of coffee (or several). But being coffee drinkers and consumers makes us part of an industry with a difficult history, which makes supporting impactful coffee brands essential.
The coffee industry has its roots in the exploitation all over the world. This history has had lasting effects on marginalized communities to this very day, especially as many large coffee companies still take advantage of their farmers.
Coffee isn’t just a morning ritual—it’s an opportunity to contribute to something bigger. Some coffee brands don’t stop at crafting the perfect blend; they prioritize sustainability, support farmers, and invest in communities worldwide.
These impactful coffee brands prove that your caffeine habit can drive positive change. Let’s explore some standout brands that combine great taste with meaningful action.
What Does It Mean for Coffee Brands to “Give Back”?
When a coffee brand “gives back,” it goes beyond selling coffee to actively supporting ethical practices and making tangible social or environmental impacts. This can involve:
- Fair Trade Certification: Ensuring farmers receive fair wages.
- Sustainability Practices: Protecting rainforests and promoting biodiversity.
- Charitable Initiatives: Funding education, healthcare, or clean water projects.
Choosing these brands means aligning your daily coffee routine with values like fairness, sustainability, and generosity.
Terms to look for when buying fair trade, ethical, and single-origin coffee:
Direct Trade
Direct Trade indicates that the coffee roaster has a direct relationship with the coffee farmers or cooperatives. This often results in higher prices paid to farmers and more transparency in the supply chain. While not a certified label, it's a term used by many ethical coffee companies.
Fair Trade Certified
This is an official certification that ensures farmers receive a minimum price for their coffee, which protects them against market fluctuations. Fair Trade also includes standards for working conditions and prohibits child labor.
Single Origin
Single origin means the coffee comes from one specific geographic location, which could be a country, region, or even a single farm. This term is often associated with higher quality and traceability.
Organic
Organic certification ensures the coffee is grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. This is beneficial for both the environment and the health of farmers.
Rainforest Alliance Certified
This certification focuses on environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation, as well as ensuring certain social standards are met.
These terms often overlap, and the best ethical coffees may feature several of these labels. It's worth noting that while these terms are good indicators, they don't tell the whole story.
Some excellent, ethically-sourced coffees might not have official certifications due to the costs involved, especially for smaller producers.
Impactful Coffee Brands That Give Back
Counter Culture
Counter Culture has been a pioneer in the direct trade coffee movement since the late 1990s. They work closely with farmers in over 12 countries, visiting farms regularly and developing long-term partnerships.
Counter Culture provides training and resources to help farmers improve quality and sustainability. They're known for their transparency, publishing detailed annual sustainability reports. Learn more.
Stella Blue Coffee
Stella Blue Coffee is more than just a coffee brand—it’s a passion project with a purpose. Founded by Dan "Big Cat" Katz, a prominent figure from Barstool Sports, Stella Blue Coffee offers premium coffee crafted from 100% Arabica beans sourced from Colombia and Central America.
Beyond delivering high-quality coffee, Stella Blue Coffee stands out for its commitment to ethical sourcing and sustainability. The brand proudly uses Rainforest Alliance Certified beans, ensuring that their coffee supports sustainable farming practices and protects the environment.
What makes Stella Blue Coffee even more impactful is its dedication to giving back. A portion of proceeds from every sale is donated to PAWS Chicago, a no-kill animal shelter that works tirelessly to provide care, rehabilitation, and adoption services for homeless pets.
Riverboat Coffee Company
Experience the freshness of premium cold brew coffee delivered directly to one's doorstep with Riverboat's sustainable delivery service. Riverboat offers 64 oz. growlers of coffee brewed from 100% Arabica beans sourced from the Colombian Andes, delivered in reusable glass growlers and iced coolers right to the curb.
Riverboat is committed to protecting the environment by reducing waste in the wetlands and encouraging customers to return their growlers and coolers with their next delivery.
Their sustainability efforts extend beyond delivery; used coffee grounds are donated to City Root Compost for transformation into compost, while any broken growlers are recycled through Glass Half Full, contributing to disaster relief and eco-construction.
Intelligentsia Coffee
Another leader in direct trade, Intelligentsia coined the term "Direct Trade" back in 2000. They work directly with farmers in Central and South America, East Africa, and elsewhere.
Intelligentsia's buyers spend several months each year at origin, building relationships and ensuring quality. They pay premium prices well above fair trade minimums. Learn more
Manatee Coffee
Manatee Coffee is a family-owned company dedicated to delivering high-quality, 100% Arabica coffee while actively supporting manatee conservation efforts.
By sourcing premium beans from around the world and employing precise roasting techniques, they craft blends that offer a smooth, well-balanced taste with rich, complex flavors.
Beyond their commitment to exceptional coffee, Manatee Coffee donates a portion of their proceeds to trusted partners focused on preserving manatee habitats, embodying their motto: "Drink Coffee. Save Manatees."
Spirit Mountain Roasting Co.
A Native American-owned coffee brand, Spirit Mountain Roasting Co. is located in Winterhaven, California. Founder Tudor Montague is a member of the Quechan Tribe.
Through a portion of its sales, Spirit Mountain Roasting Co. supports Indigenous nonprofits, including Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli/Indigenous Roots in Minnesota and Native America Humane Society in California.
The company considers its supply chain part of its community and is committed to ensuring ethical and sustainable operations throughout it. When it can, the company chooses to source its beans from Indigenous coffee farmers directly.
In addition, Spirit Mountain Roasting Co. recognizes its responsibility to the health of our planet and uses biodegradable coffee bags made from renewable materials to package its ethical coffee.
You can purchase Spirit Mountain Roasting Co. coffee by the bag along with apparel and other accessories. The company also offers its coffee wholesale.
Equal Exchange
Equal Exchange combines two of my biggest passions: coffee and democracy. If you’re like me, you’ll be excited to learn about Equal Exchange, a worker-owned cooperative based out of Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
The company is also a Fair Trade business, meaning the company supports small farmers around the world and pursues positive environmental and social goals through its supply chain.
As a worker-owned co-op, Equal Exchange involves its employees throughout its decision making process. When company decisions are on the table, every worker-owner (there are more than 130) gets one vote on the issue.
They also get a share of profits, regardless of their position in the company.
Furthermore, Equal Exchange is putting in the work to educate people on sustainable and equitable food systems by producing and gathering a robust trove of resources on its website.
Equal Exchange sells its ethical coffee online in a variety of formats: in bags, as single-serve coffee pods, and in bulk.
Additionally, Equal Exchange is a wholesale coffee supplier, so you can buy coffee for your cafe, your office, your congregation, or any other group you’re a part of.
Bonus! Chocolate lovers, tea drinkers, and snackers rejoice because Equal Exchange offers all of these delectable treats as well.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters
Portland-based Stumptown is committed to sourcing exceptional coffees through direct relationships with farmers. They have a "Direct Trade" program that involves regular farm visits and paying prices significantly higher than fair trade minimums.
Stumptown is known for their detailed "Farm Gate" pricing that shows exactly how much farmers are paid. Learn more
Deans Beans
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The mission of Dean’s Beans is to use high quality specialty coffee as a vehicle for progressive change throughout the coffeelands of Asia, Africa and the Americas. This is achieved through:
- Innovative direct People-Centered Development
- programs with Cooperative Partners
- Activism and
- Ecological Responsibility
The company has been directly engaged in community development and activism for over twenty-five years now.
All of the high-quality specialty coffees are certified Organic, Fair Trade, and Kosher, and are roasted fresh to order in small batches at the companies beanery in Orange, MA. The vast use of pesticides in coffee production has serious impact on the ecology of the coffee-growing world and the health of farm communities.
Dean has committed his business career to only purchasing shade grown coffees that support healthy environments for coffee growers and protects critical migratory bird habitat. It is important to the company that the quality of coffee includes respect for the quality of life of our southern partners in the coffee world.
Café Campesino
This Georgia-based roaster focuses exclusively on fair trade, organic coffee sourced through direct relationships.
Café Campesino is a founding member of Cooperative Coffees, a green coffee importing cooperative that works directly with farmer groups.
They're known for their commitment to transparency and farmer empowerment.
Pachamama Coffee
Pachamama is unique in that it's actually owned by the coffee farmers themselves. This cooperative of smallholder farmers from five countries cuts out middlemen entirely, giving farmers more control and higher profits.
Pachamama offers a direct connection between consumers and producers.
Driftaway Coffee
Driftaway is a subscription-based coffee company that emphasizes direct trade relationships and personalized taste profiles. They work directly with small-scale farmers in various coffee-growing regions.
Driftaway is known for their commitment to sustainability, using compostable packaging and carbon-neutral shipping. They also provide customers with detailed information about the farmers who grow their coffee.
Bird Rock Coffee Roasters
Based in San Diego, Bird Rock Coffee Roasters has won multiple awards for their direct trade coffees. They have a "Farmer's Direct" program where they work closely with individual farmers and cooperatives.
Bird Rock is committed to paying premium prices for high-quality beans and investing in the communities where they source their coffee.
Onyx Coffee Lab
Onyx Coffee Lab from Arkansas has gained a reputation for sourcing exceptional coffees through direct relationships. They regularly travel to origin countries to meet with producers and often feature detailed farmer profiles with their offerings.
Onyx is known for their transparency, publishing detailed pricing information for each coffee they sell.
Kickapoo Coffee Roasters
Recently renamed to Wonderstate Coffee, this Wisconsin-based roaster has been a leader in ethical sourcing since 2005. They have a strong commitment to direct trade relationships and pay some of the highest prices in the industry for their green coffee.
Kickapoo/Wonderstate is also notable for their use of 100% solar power in their roasting operations.
