Committed to Every Cup
It's safe to say that Chad Trewick knows the coffee industry inside and out. In the last twenty years, the current head of green buying (officially, senior director of coffee and tea) for Caribou Coffee -- the United States' second largest coffee roaster and retail chain -- has held nearly every industry post imaginable, from roaster to barista to trainer. We recently talked with Trewick about Caribou's commitment to sourcing 100 percent Rainforest Alliance Certified™ coffee and his experiences on a few of the farms from which Caribou buys its beans.
Why did Caribou choose the Rainforest Alliance as an ally in its sustainability journey?
As we compared various coffee certification models, it became clear that Rainforest Alliance certification worked most effectively to achieve the delicate balance between environmental, social and economic sustainability for farmers, workers and producing communities.
What was the driver behind Caribou's commitment to 100 percent Rainforest Alliance Certified™ coffee?
Our CEO, Mike Tattersfield, is firmly anti-tokenism and anti-green washing. He wanted to hold our coffee sourcing efforts accountable to the 100 percent goal in order to really make a positive change in the way we do business.
How have Caribou's customers responded to its commitment to sustainability?
We still have a ways to go on our path to educate consumers about what the little green frog means. I hope guests feel more at ease knowing there is sustainability certification behind all of our coffees. In the near future, we hope to have many more opportunities to share the great benefits of Rainforest Alliance certification with our guests.
You've been to a number of Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Any experiences stand out from the rest?
On one farm, the owner began carrying around binoculars because he'd discovered -- through the certification process -- all of the beautiful birds that take roost on his farm. I've also seen migrant harvest workers grinning from ear to ear as they tell me about the new safe, dignified housing provided for them. I've been shown dramatic before and after images illustrating the tangible benefits of soil conservation and erosion prevention measures. Perhaps most noteworthy, however, is the great sense of pride and accomplishment that farmers exhibit upon achieving certification.
The Rainforest Alliance hosts an annual "Cupping for Quality," where coffee samples from dozens of Rainforest Alliance Certified farms are evaluated against a number of criteria. You've been a cupper -- can you tell us about the experience?
I've participated in the cupping event a number of times, and I've been struck by the way that the quality of the submissions has continued to improve over the years. I was a part of the first cupping in 2004, and I think we should all celebrate the great advances in quality and certification that have been made since then. [See the newly released results from the 2010 "Cupping for Quality."]
You're obviously a real coffee lover. What's your favorite kind of java?
I like a simple, well-extracted, delicately-roasted small cup of drip-brewed coffee!