Barefoot Coffee Marks

Barefoot’s primary method for bringing great coffee farmers to the world. A Relationship coffee is: 1) Barefoot has been to the farm. 2) We have bought from them for 2+ years, 3) The farmer receives at least 60% over Fair Trade price, and 4) Barefoot has long term contracts with farmer. We have met them, shook their hand, broken bread with them and treat them as partners and family.

Ensures a minimum floor price paid to co-ops. Only for co-ops, not single estates. Provides third party verification of democratic management, price transparency and a paperwork trail for farms we have not visited yet. Awesome at verifying transactions and ensuring money gets to all parties. Fair Trade certified coffees can be bought for any price above the floor price. Better quality goes for higher prices. Increasingly involved in helping improve quality of life at origin by reinvesting profits.

Focused on coffee production and worker and environmental benefits. Less stringent than Fair Trade. But can certify single estates. Worker welfare and environmental practices provide long term improvements. Far less benefit than Fair Trade.

A rigid set of standards focused on zero artificial pesticide and fertilizer usage and returning to more traditional and sustainable farming methods. Forbids GMO’s and harmful chemicals.

An excellent program that focuses on retaining and restoring native flora and fauna. Provides abundant bird and wildlife habitat. Preserves rain forest and natural landscapes. Is not focused on quality or pricing at all.

Coffee grown under native shade canopies requires less artificial fertilizer and pesticides, matures at a slower pace for more developed flavors and provides wildlife habitat.

A single coffee farm rather than a co-op or a bunch of lots from many generic farms. When you put your name to a product and stand behind it you make sure the quality is higher. These are the cream of the crop coffees.

A co-operative farm group is a democratically run assembly of farmers who have joined together. To improve revenue by moving more of the value added work into their control, to improve quality across all members and to work more towards relationships with buyers.

The Cup Of Excellence is the world’s best reward and recognition program for finding exceptional coffees. It puts small farmers into direct contact with specialty buyers and delivers exceptionally high prices to the farmers.