Winter 2002

Eco-Friendly Coffee: Coming to a Store Shelf Near You

By Francine Stephens and Tami Sheheri

The largest quantity ever of certified sustainable coffee has hit the U.S. marketplace nationwide. Many consumers can now find Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee at their local supermarket.

Photo by Dawn Chura (Valassis)

Certified for environmentally and socially responsible production at the farm level, the Guatemala-based Ralda Investments produces two brands of certified coffee, Guatemalan Supreme Coffee and Copa de Oro. These brands offer the public a chance to make a difference at the cash register. By choosing coffee with the Rainforest Alliance Certified^™ label, consumers can help protect the rainforest, and ensure that farmers are getting good prices and workers are earning livable wages.

Major distributors now carrying Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee include Albertson's, Safeway, Vons, Tom Thumb, Randall's, Kroger's, Ralph's, and Smith's, located in Arizona, California, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. Ralda projects that its coffee will be in 2,000 additional stores by the end of 2001, and in 7,500 to 10,000 stores across 30 states by the end of 2002. Guatemalan Supreme Coffee and Copa de Oro can also be found online at www.guatemalacoffee.getwebnet.com.

Worldwide, coffee production is in deep crisis, as prices paid to the farmers have reached 30-year lows. With the hope of increased yields, farmers who once grew shade-grown coffee are clearing the forest, planting dense hedgerows of coffee bushes, and using many agrochemicals. All kinds of wildlife -- from frogs to birds and butterflies -- depend on "coffee forests" and are at risk as a result of full-sun farming.

Coffee is Latin America's most important export crop. The Rainforest Alliance and its Guatemalan partner, the Interamerican Foundation for Tropical Research, developed certification guidelines for coffee production that would provide market incentives for the conservation of forested coffee farms and the fair treatment of workers. The actual on-the-ground certifications -- of coffee farms, as well as banana, cocoa and citrus producers -- are carried out by the Rainforest Alliance and a network of Latin American conservation organizations that together form the Sustainable Agriculture Network. Farms that meet the network's strict environmental and social standards receive the Rainforest Alliance Certified label for that product.

Certification improves agricultural practices and covers all aspects of production including ecosystem and wildlife conservation, labor practices and community relations, reduction of chemical use, and waste management. Certified farmers have better access to specialty buyers and niche markets, and can get their product to eco-friendly consumers. The Rainforest Alliance Certified seal of approval tells latte lovers that they are enjoying a special coffee, one that was grown under the rainforest canopy, nurtured by nature and in the company of birdsong.

Two brothers, Carlos and Francisco Ralda, established Ralda Investments, LLC in 1998. They handle all links in the distribution chain, from farm to supermarket shelf. The Ralda farms produce from 800,000 to one million pounds of coffee annually.

"We come from many generations of coffee growers and we believe our high-quality coffee is the result of my grandfather's traditions," says Francisco Ralda. The Ralda family has been growing coffee since the 1800s. Their farms include old-growth forest with mahogany and cedar trees that are 75 to100 years old, and also home to diverse wildlife, including armadillos, songbirds, and margays (wildcats).

Among coffee connoisseurs, Guatemalan coffee is considered one of the best tasting and most aromatic in the world. "The only problem we've found is people aren't familiar with Guatemala, much less coffee from Guatemala," says Carlos Ralda. "But when they try the product they love it and go back to it."

The majority of Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee farms are small family farms and cooperatives. As demand for their coffee increases, the Ralda brothers plan to bring in local, small-scale family farmers, in turn helping them become Rainforest Alliance Certified. According to Francisco Ralda, "We plan to extend the benefits we get from Rainforest Alliance certification to smaller farms in our region."

"In these hard times, humans all around the world should come together and think more about the future, and about what kind of place we want future generations to live in," says Carlos Ralda.

"High-quality coffee is increasingly being defined as certified coffee," says Sabrina Vigilante, marketing coordinator for the Rainforest Alliance. "And now, drinking certified coffee is one of the easiest actions people across the world can take to support conservation and ensure social accountability."

The mission of the Rainforest Alliance is to protect ecosystems and the people and wildlife that depend on them by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. Companies, cooperatives and landowners that participate in our programs meet rigorous standards that conserve biodiversity and provide sustainable livelihoods.