Great question, and one that we at the Perky Perky HQ get often. 🙂 We are NOT Certified Organic nor are we Certified Fair Trade at this time and here’s why…

We believe in ethical sourcing.

But, what exactly is Ethical Sourcing?

Ethical sourcing is a hot topic at the moment, and it’s more than just a passing phase. It is a set of standards designed to preserve the safety, dignity and value of every worker in the coffee supply chain. Here at Perky Perky, we’re big on respect for our fellow humans, and this is reflected in our bean selection process. Our mission is to bring you the intense coffee experience you crave, while improving living and working conditions for our suppliers and leaving the tiniest carbon footprint possible. Quite a mouthful, eh? Why not kick back with a mellow roast while we explain further.

Is Ethically Sourced the Same as Fair Trade?

You’d be forgiven for thinking the two are mutually exclusive. The Fair Trade logo is globally recognized, and is used as the highest benchmark for ethical production. In an ideal world, all plantations and roasters who operate ethically would be certified as Fair Trade. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.

Fair Trade certification comes with an annual fee of up to $10k, and to a small independent organization, this is a huge outlay. Along with following Fair Trade practices, they would need to ensure that every step in the chain before them was also Fair Trade certified. And even with this, there is no guarantee that their coffee will be picked up by a Fair Trade buyer. A lot of expense and ground to cover with no security, huh?

What About Organic Certification?

Maintaining organic farming processes is vital for the future of our planet. However, similar to Fair Trade certification, organic certification comes at a cost. To be certified as 100% organic, roasters would not only have to pay a hefty annual fee, they would also need to guarantee that they only deal with 100% organic beans across the board. This is a massive caveat for smaller producers and unfortunately for many, it is unrealistic and unattainable.

Our Promise to You

We are committed to sourcing our beans from ethical, organically aware farms. We have worked hard to foster relationships directly with our Costa Rican suppliers, and this close bond allows us to monitor the production process on an ongoing basis, ensuring that it meets our model of ethical trading. Although our roasters are not certified organic or Fair Trade, they meet the provisions we set out to safeguard sustainable and responsible trading. These specifications include-

  • Guaranteeing that workers are paid a fair wage and have a safe, comfortable working environment
  • No child labor
  • Protecting water and soil resources while limiting the use of harmful chemicals

We’re not saying that certification isn’t important- of course it is! However, given that we are a small operation dealing with independent roasters, we feel that we can personally guarantee the integrity of our suppliers without enforcing the added cost of certification on them. This works in everyone’s favor- the farmers have more money to put back into their business, and the cost of the product remains maintainable to us. Meaning you can continue to enjoy our amazing brews with a clear conscience. Amen to that!