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Fair Trade Justice With Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op

I am NOT a coffee addict.

Am not.

But I dare say I might become one.

I do enjoy a good cup of coffee, but caffeine sometimes makes me edgy.  Though I have managed to mostly avoid the lure of Starbucks, I have been known to indulge in a white chocolate mocha at Second Cup, or a French Vanilla at Tim Horton’s… and don’t get me started about Iced Cappucino in the summer!!

Then I read 5 Ways to Green Your Coffee and I got the itch.

So I bought myself a french press and some fresh-ground, organic, Fair Trade coffee.  And I just had to share a little about the company behind my coffee.

Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-Op are Canada’s first Fair Trade coffee roaster. They’re located in beautiful Wolfville, Nova Scotia, a small town nestled along the Minas Basin, at the very tip of the Bay of Fundy.  I actually lived there for 6 years as an undergrad student and I still think it’s the most glorious place in the world (and has the world’s highest tides).  In fact, the company was founded just a year before I moved away… apparently I just missed them!

Unable to find any information on Fair Trade Coffee in Canada, one of the founders travelled to Mexico in 1995.  There he found existing cooperatives who were fighting to export their own coffee without having to depend on “coyotes” – agents for the big coffee companies, supported by the US and their own government.  The rest reads like a thriller action movie:

Jeff managed to get through the military road blocks and past all the huge trees cut down by the Zapatista rebels to block the movement of the army. He travelled far up into the mountains to the coffee growing areas. There, he was able to see first hand the pride that the coffee farmers took in growing their coffee organically and the empowerment and dignity they derived from being members of a co-op. They said Fair Trade was the first thing that had given them real hope for a better future.

Jeff came home with “good news” and “bad news”. The good news was he had found a great Fair Trade co-op that would be thrilled to sell their coffee to Canada but the “bad news” was that he and Debbie would have to put their house up as security to finance a minimum shipment of 10 tons of coffee without having a single customer.

They didn’t really lose much sleep over the decision. They had such a strong belief in the combination of high quality coffee and Fair Trade – that they plunged ahead and Just Us! has never looked back.

Not only are they a Fair Trade company, but the company itself is run as a co-op, with employees owning shares.  They roast their own beans.  They now also have several cafes around Nova Scotia, and have increased their product line to include Fair Trade organic tea, sugar and chocolate.  So you can indulge in Fair Trade treats for your entire family, whether they drink coffee or not.

Just Us! is also working hard on incorporating sustainability practices, using local food sources for their cafes whenever possible, introducing compostable cups, installing solar panels, re-introducing native plant species on their property, using only green cleaning supplies, and converting two of their company vehicles to run on vegetable oil fuel!

And they’ve got the greatest phone number… 1-888-not-them.

If your local store does not carry Just Us! products, you can order directly from them.  They have a wide range of coffee blends in your choice of grind, and you can even order “green” unroasted beans if you’re a true do-it-yourselfer.

And I am not an addict.

Yet.

I’ve taken the brew-my-coffee-at-home pledge… have you?

[This post was written by Heather Dunham]

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Comments

  1. Saeco says

    February 23, 2009 at 4:33 am

    Sounds like I am going to need to call up and order some today!

    Reply
  2. Saeco says

    February 23, 2009 at 2:32 pm

    Sounds like I am going to need to call up and order some today!
    Sorry… forgot to say great post – can’t wait to read your next one!

    Reply
  3. Doug Perry says

    March 31, 2009 at 3:16 pm

    We were at Atlantic Christian Training Center (ACTC) in nearby Tatamagouche. They have a poster that came from you. It’s how to build a community. I thought the words were great and would like to have a poster. How can I get one?
    I noticed the obit for John Fuller. So sorry.
    Doug Perry, Wallace NS

    Reply
  4. Barbara76 says

    October 22, 2009 at 2:57 am

    Personally, i have never quite understood how there could be so many really bored little twats who would go around trolling. ,

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Fair Trade Outing : Eco Child’s Play says:
    March 2, 2009 at 6:55 pm

    […] Thousand Villages is a fair trade retailer that carries handmade jewelry, home decor, gifts and much more. They work with over 130 […]

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  2. I Never Grew Up—Ideas and Reviews to Help Parents Entertain, Care for and Educate their Children » Blog Archive » Thursday: The Importance of the Arts–Fair Trade Art says:
    March 25, 2009 at 5:01 pm

    […] Thousand Villages is a fair trade retailer that carries handmade jewelry, home decor, gifts and much more. They work with over 130 […]

    Reply
  3. How Sweet it is: Brew Your Own Iced Tea says:
    June 3, 2010 at 3:11 pm

    […] you’ve been inspired, as I have, to green your beverages by making your own coffee and even soda pop at home, then here are some […]

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About Eco Child’s Play

Our ethos is to provide news, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a greener, healthier life! Additionally, we offer personal consulting services to help you achieve your green living goals.

Jennifer is a vegetarian, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, teacher, and mother that has been living off-the-grid for over 20 years.

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