Home & Garden Home The Best Fair Trade Coffees for an Ethical Buzz Brooklyn Roasting Company is our top choice for getting a caffeine fix. By Arricca SanSone Arricca SanSone Hiram College Georgia Southern University Arricca SanSone is a health and lifestyle writer, specializing in home, kitchen, and gardening. She has written for Dotdash Meredith since 2019. Learn about our editorial process Published June 1, 2022 Share Twitter Pinterest Email Home Sustainable Eating Pest Control Natural Cleaning DIY Family Green Living Thrift & Minimalism We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Somsak Khamkula / EyeEm / Getty If you love coffee, you’re not alone: 7 in 10 Americans drink coffee every week, and 62% of us drink it daily. In addition, more than half of all coffee drinkers in the United States want to buy coffee that’s good for the environment, the farmers, and their communities. That’s where certification programs like Fairtrade America, Fair Trade USA and Fair for Life come into play. These organizations utilize independent third-party evaluation and certification processes to verify that producers follow standards that include safe working conditions, fair wages, good agricultural practices, and environmental stewardship. Some fair trade organizations also provide development funds, which go back to the farmers and workers so they can decide how to put them towards community improvement projects. We all have different tastes, so it’s impossible to find a one-size-fits-all flavor profile for every coffee drinker. But certain companies go above and beyond in an effort to protect farmers, communities, and natural habitats for birds and wildlife. Whether you drink your coffee drip, cold-brewed, or topped with a frothy crema, here are our top picks for the best fair trade coffees: The Rundown Best Overall: Brooklyn Roasting Company at Brooklynroasting.com Jump to Review Best Decaf: Level Ground Decaf Coffee at Amazon Jump to Review Best Budget: Ethical Bean Coffee at Walmart Jump to Review Best Splurge: Death Wish Coffee Co. Ground Coffee at Amazon Jump to Review Best French Roast: Equator French Roast Blend at Amazon Jump to Review Best Shade-Grown: Birds and Beans at Birdsandbeanscoffee.com Jump to Review Best Certified Organic: Tiny Footprint Coffee at Amazon Jump to Review Best Subscription Service: Grounds for Change Coffee of the Month at Groundsforchange.com Jump to Review Best Instant: Mount Hagen Instant Coffee at Walmart Jump to Review Best Overall Brooklyn Roasting Company 5 Brooklyn Roasting Company View On Brooklynroasting.com Founded in Brooklyn in 2009, the company has a dedicated following for its lineup of single origin and seasonal coffees. From its medium-bodied Nicaragua Prodecoop with undertones of milk chocolate, apple and brown sugar to its citrusy Bali Kintamani, you’ll find flavor profiles not duplicated elsewhere. It's our top choice thanks to a focus on delicious, high-quality beans and Fair Trade purchasing standards. Brooklyn Roasting Company also features custom and espresso blends, as well as a subscription service. The website is informative and easy-to-navigate so you can choose the best coffee for your personal taste. The company supports local organizations such as the New York Public Library and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. What Editors Say "This is my go-to for espresso. I love that the coffee comes in refillable/reusable cans." ~ Melissa Breyer, Treehugger Editorial Editor Best Decaf Level Ground Dark & Jitter-Free Decaf Coffee Level Ground View On Amazon View On Levelground.com If you love coffee but caffeine gives you the jitters, this single origin decaf, which is also certified USDA Organic, has a sweet, rich taste without the buzz. While regular coffee contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine, decaf will have about 2 to 3 milligrams per cup. But you’ll still get a smooth, robust flavor profile from this ground or whole bean coffee sourced from small farmers in Colombia. Level Ground's Fair Trade and organic coffees are a favorite of Treehugger Senior Editor Katherine Martinko. Best Budget Ethical Bean Coffee 4.2 Ethical Bean View On Walmart View On Amazon View On Ethicalbean.com Inexpensive coffee doesn’t have to taste cheap. This 100% Arabica coffee is certified both USDA Organic and Fairtrade. From medium to medium dark to dark roast, you’ll find a flavor profile that works for you at a reasonable price point. There’s also a sweet espresso roast that’s noted for its ability to create a lovely crema when brewed for espresso. The subscription service makes sure you never run out of your favorite grind or bean. Best Splurge Death Wish Coffee Co. Ground Coffee Amazon View On Amazon If caffeine is your best friend, this is the coffee for you. Billed as “world’s strongest coffee,” this brand’s coffee contains twice as much caffeine as other brands for a serious wakeup call. Because they source only USDA organic and Fair Trade certified beans, you’re also supporting coffee farmers and sustainability whether you opt for the smooth, caramel undertones of their medium or the velvety chocolate undertones of the dark roast. There’s also a subscription service so you’ll never run out of caffeine. The 9 Best French Press Coffee Makers of 2023 Best French Roast Equator French Roast Blend Fair Trade Organic Amazon View On Amazon View On Equatorcoffees.com View On Mistobox.com Co-founded by two women in their garage in Marin County, California in 1995, the company has since grown to offer an array of single origin and blended coffees ranging from the light and fruity Guatemala El Injerto Natural to the walnutty Guatemala Concepcion Huista, of which $1 per bag is donated to Fair Trade Certified. This brand’s French roast is its darkest with plenty of smoky, sweet flavor. It’s both certified organic and Fair Trade, and the company was the first California coffee roaster to become a Certified B Corporation. Best Shade-Grown Birds and Beans Birds and Beans View On Birdsandbeanscoffee.com Traditionally, coffee was grown in shade or part-shade, but as the industry became big business, forests were cleared for full sun farms, which require less management and a higher yield, resulting in habitat loss. Shade-grown coffee is produced on farms that protect habitat for migratory and resident birds and wildlife. Launched in 2008, Birds and Beans has received the Smithsonian Certified Bird Friendly coffee designation, indicating sustainably grown coffee farming that’s also USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified. The company offers French, medium, dark, espresso roast and decaf varieties, as well as a subscription service. Best Certified Organic Tiny Footprint Coffee Tiny Footprint Coffee View On Amazon View On Tinyfootprintcoffee.com Founded in 2010, this company is carbon negative. For every pound of coffee sold, the company donates a portion of the proceeds to fund restoration in Ecuador’s Mindo cloud forest. As the trees mature, they will remove more CO2 than emitted in the production and distribution of the brand. The beans, which include light, medium, dark and espresso roasts, are shade-grown and USDA certified organic, and most of the company’s coffees also are Fair Trade certified. Best Subscription Service Grounds for Change Coffee of the Month Grounds for Change View On Groundsforchange.com Sign up for the Coffee of the Month club, which includes free shipping, and you’ll receive two 12-ounce bags of a different Fair for Life Fair Trade Certified coffee for your chosen time period. You can choose from whole bean or four different grinds, and the coffees also are certified USDA Organic. The coffee is carbon-free certified as well by CarbonFund.org, which means the complete carbon footprint from crop to cup is offset with tree planting. Many of the coffees also are shade-grown, and the company is a member of 1% for the Planet. Best Instant Mount Hagen Instant Coffee Mount Hagen View On Walmart View On Thrive Market View On Amazon Sometimes you don’t have a brewer handy, so this tasty instant coffee is the solution. The brand, which also is certified USDA Organic, comes in a glass jar or handy coffee sticks, which are super-convenient for camping, backpacking, or if you’re an infrequent coffee drinker who just needs an occasional jolt of caffeine. This instant coffee also can be used to add coffee flavor to homemade baked goods such as brownies or frosting. Avoid PFCs With Eco-Friendly Outdoor Gear and DIY Techniques Final Verdict Our top pick is Brooklyn Roasting Company for its range of offerings, but Ethical Bean gets high marks as well for offering fair trade certified coffee at a budget price. What to Look for in Fair Trade Coffee Certification Seal Look for coffee that has a certification seal by a third-party independent organization such as Fairtrade America, Fair Trade USA and Fair for Life. Type of Grind Choose the proper grind for your preferred brewing method. For example, a fine ground is best for espresso machines, while a coarse grind is preferred for French presses. The coffee roaster often also has tips on the website for the best type of brewer to use for each type of coffee. Frequently Asked Questions Where does fair trade coffee come from? Fair trade coffee comes from nearly every coffee growing country in the world, including Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda, Sumatra, and others. To ensure you’re buying fair trade coffee, look for the seals that indicate a coffee has been certified fair trade by third-party independent organizations such as Fairtrade America, Fair Trade USA and Fair for Life. How much more does fair trade coffee cost? Because fair trade guarantees a minimum price for coffee farmers, many consumers think fair trade coffee always costs more. That’s not necessarily true. In fact, there’s a great deal of variability in how much you’ll pay for coffee, and there are excellent fair trade brands at every price point from budget to splurge. Is fair trade coffee organic? Not always, though fair trade organizations often do incentivize organic farming methods by offering farmer training in organic methods and by paying a higher premium for organic products. To ensure a product is, in fact, organic look for the USDA Organic seal. Why Trust Treehugger? Treehugger wants to help you support fair wages and sound environmental stewardship for coffee farmers and their communities around the globe. Arricca Elin SanSone is a health and lifestyle writer specializing in home, kitchen, and gardening. She researched the market based on fair trade certification processes and each company’s individual ethos. Treehugger team members also suggested fair trade favorites. The 8 Best Eco-Friendly Coffee Makers of 2023 View Article Sources Foley, Sinead. “NCA Releases Atlas of American Coffee.” NCA, National Coffee Association of U.S.A., Inc. Liboureau, Claire. “Are Fairtrade Products Really More Expensive?” Fairtrade Foundation, Fairtrade Foundation.