News — fair trade coffee

Did you know that the Scarlet Tanager, with its dazzling red feathers and striking black wings, is one of the most stunning birds gracing our forests? These incredible creatures make their home in the lush deciduous forests of eastern North America during the summer and embark on an awe-inspiring journey to South America for the winter. However, the Scarlet Tanager is facing some challenging times, and it's up to us to help turn the tide in their favor.

In spring, the anticipation of the return of migratory birds, including warblers, adds a sense of wonder to the season. Among these avian travelers are the 'coffee birds,' a term that is at the heart of our Birds & Beans coffee mission. Our Bird Friendly coffee roasts bear such as Scarlet Tanager, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Wood Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, American Redstart, and Kingbirds, to highlight the connection between coffee cultivation and bird habitats.Birds & Beans sources its coffee from family farms certified as shade-grown and 'Bird Friendly' by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, underscoring its commitment to sustainable practices. These farms, resembling...

Birds & Beans Bird-Friendly Coffee is Organic, Bird Friendly, and Fair Trade-certified. Read what is all about Fair Trade Coffee, here.

Bird Friendly® is a certification that does more than any other certification to protect the habitats of birds and other wildlife. It was developed by Smithsonian scientists for coffee in the late 1990s to preserve habitat and protect migrating songbirds. Certification standards require farms to maintain at least 40% shade coverage and make recommendations on the variety and size of trees that make up a tree canopy. These strict guidelines ensure a variety of habitats that support wildlife assets. Surveys by biologists have revealed that a shady coffee plantation harbors almost as much biodiversity as an intact forest.Bird-friendly® habitats provide...