Thanksgiving brings to mind turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce – and coffee? Sure, Thanksgiving is still far away – and maybe coffee isn’t a traditional Thanksgiving food – but we are definitely ready to give thanks for California-based Thanksgiving Coffee. Thanksgiving Coffee supports coffee farmers to allow them to transition away from chemical pesticides and towards sustainable agriculture, while utilizing Fair Trade business practices. The sustainably-minded coffee company got its name from the founders finding the “beauty in the big and small things” and the spirit of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Coffee Project Director Ben Corey-Moran shares how the company remains global and sustainable at the same time: “As a coffee company, our business is inherently global, and requires not only the building of relationships with family farmers around the world, but shipping their crop great distances. We try to engage these challenges as directly as possible: in 2001 we planted 75,000 trees in southern Ethiopia to offset the carbon dioxide produced by the shipping, roasting, and brewing of all of our coffee. In 2003 we switched to a 100% biodiesel delivery fleet.”

Thanksgiving Coffee provides a variety of Fair Trade, Certified Organic, and Shade Grown coffees – here’s the lowdown on what each type entails:

- Fair Trade

Thanksgiving Coffee’s Fair Trade Certified program guarantees that the farmers receive a minimum price of $1.26 per pound for their coffee and that it is produced under safe, environmentally sustainable conditions. (You can learn more about Fair Trade here.)

- Certified Organic

Thanksgiving Coffee’s certified organic coffee is produced without the use of fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, or other potentially harmful chemicals as determined by an independent, third-party certifying agency.

- Shade Grown

Traditionally and naturally, most coffee is grown in the shade of rainforests. Farmers have been encouraged to increase crop yields by clearcutting farms and growing sun-tolerant coffee hybrids, which has resulted in massive deforestation, increased pollution from chemical pesticides, and destruction of endangered birds’ natural habitats. Thanksgiving Coffee’s Shade Grown coffees are verified as naturally shade-grown to discourage deforestation.

With the motto “Not Just a Cup, But a Just Cup”, Thanksgiving Coffee provides premium coffee with a conscience. You can shop for Thanksgiving Coffee and receive 15% off at their online store with coupon code “dailythread“:

Thanksgiving Coffee Online Store