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Green Coffee is Good Coffee—Why Sustainability Matters to Us (And Should Matter to You, Too!)


At One World Roasters, coffee is a passion, but even more than that—it’s a responsibility. We are of course responsible to our customers to provide the finest perfectly roasted coffees from around the world, but beyond that we also recognize our role in the grand scheme of things. As roasters, we are but one piece of an ever-flowing collaboration that spans several continents, families, and ecosystems. We owe it to every person, creature, and habitat involved to make sure that our lasting mark is a positive one.


As Connecticut’s premier organic coffee roaster, we see the power we all have to make positive changes around us in the little things we do—whether sourcing from organic coffee farmers or seeing to it that these farmers are paid a fair living wage. Here is a simple rundown of the ways we strive to make a difference, and why we believe they matter:

1) Organic Coffee—When we think of organic, coffee isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind, but given how often we drink it, it really should be. Coffee plants, especially, the more delicate Arabica varieties, are some of the most heavily pesticide treated crops grown in the modern world. With minimal research conducted on the longterm effects of these chemical residues, it’s hard to predict what their impacts on our health will be in the decades to come. It is very clear though, that these pesticides wreak havoc on the health of the people and creatures that surround these plants. This is why we source from only certified organic coffee farms around the world.



2) Fair Trade / Rainforest Certified —And beyond just health risks, there are many other factors that make life as a coffee farmer very difficult and unpredictable. While we hardly notice any fluctuations in our steady supply of coffee, the international price of coffee is always subject to sudden price drops that can leave many families that depend on this seasonal crop for yearly income struggling just to get by. The hardest working people in the coffee industry deserve better than this; that’s why we see it as our duty to make sure that all of our coffees are fair trade. We also seek out Rainforest Alliance certified coffee farms that teach farmers better practices for higher profits and lower environmental impact.


3) Bird-friendly / Shade-grown—If we know one thing very well, it’s that faster is NOT always better. Modern technology allows growers to cultivate lower quality Robusta coffees at a faster rate, but at a tremendous cost to the environment. “Sun-grown” coffees deplete soil and lead to deforestation, which threatens countless species of South American, African, and Asian wildlife (2/3rds of the Mexican and Central American rainforests have disappeared in the last 40 years). Wherever possible One World Roasters looks to collaborate with bird-friendly farms that use natural “shade-grown” practices, like Spirit Mountain in the Dominican Republic. Not only are their coffees better for the environment, but their slower harvesting process makes for richer more complex coffee beans that give our Dominican Roast such a tremendous taste.



4) Green Roasting—When choosing our coffee roasting technology, it was very important to us to design a process that gave us maximum control over flavor and our carbon footprint. Many big coffee roasters use outdated technology and blue flame burners that create a great deal of hazardous gases. We equipped our facilities with Diedrich’s renowned roasters that use infrared burners to cut down on CO2 emissions and create a cleaner overall process. Our coffee “chaff,” which comes off the beans in the roasting process, is also repurposed and used in community gardens.


At the end of the day, there is only so much a certification can do or guarantee, but if we can become more conscious of our choices and make that extra effort wherever we can to facilitate positive change, we believe it is well worth it, and we hope as fellow coffee lovers that you’ll join us on this mission.


To great taste and a better world,

One World Roasters

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Where To Find Us

One World Roasters
967 North High St,
East Haven CT 06512

United States
Phone: 1.203.376.1589

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