The Coffee Certificates We Use
You can find many certificates on coffee packages that provide proof of the unique qualities of the coffee beans. At the Rogers Family Company, all of our coffees show our "Fairly Traded" certificate, and other coffees we offer show the USDA Organic, and/or Rainforest Alliance Certified certificates. You may be wondering, "How is the Rogers Family Company’s 'Fairly Traded' certificate different from the 'Fair Trade' certificate from TransFairUSA?"

Well, not all coffee farmers are organized into cooperatives, and many larger coffee farms hire the local, indigenous population to work on their farms. So, when importing coffee from a farm that is not a member of a Fair Trade cooperative, it is impossible to know if the coffee was purchased at above-market, fixed price contracts directly from the farm. (Fair Trade coffee can only be purchased from a cooperative of small farmers.)

Above-market, fixed prices for coffee keeps coffee communities vibrant and keeps workers' families together since workers don't have to migrate to urban city centers to find work. The Rogers Family Company’s “Fairly Traded” certificate proves to the consumer their purchase is truly making a difference in struggling coffee communities – even those that are not organized into Fair Trade cooperatives.

Rogers Family Fairly Traded
Coffees with the Rogers Family “Fairly Traded” certificate are purchased from farms with which the Rogers Family Company has set up above market, fixed price contracts. This way, the farmers can stay in business and workers on the farms can continue to earn a living nearby their homes and families. Today, coffee prices are on the rise, but our fixed contracts ensure long-term relationships and farm viability. This leads to well-tended coffee trees that produce only the very highest quality coffee beans. The Fairly Traded logo proves to the consumer that their purchase is making a difference in struggling coffee communities through the Community Aid program.

Fair Trade
The Fair Trade tm certificate is a registered trademark of the non-profit, TransFairUSA based in Oakland, California. The certificate proves that the coffee was purchased directly from cooperatives of small farmers at a price floor of $1.26 per pound. Importers and roasters must purchase the coffee on fixed contracts directly from the cooperative which by-passes middlemen and passes profits on to the farmers. To learn more about Fair Trade coffee, visit TransFairUSA.

USDA Organic
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Organic certificate is proof that the product was produced using organic production and handling standards, and that the product is at least 95 percent organic. Visit the USDA Organic official website to learn more.

Rainforest Alliance
Sustainable coffee farming is at the center of the Rainforest Alliance's efforts to save rainforest and other ecosystems, conserve life-giving soils, protect rivers, wetlands and wildlife, and promote cohesive and progressive rural communities. In all, more than 50,000 farm families are enjoying the benefits of the program. The challenges are huge, but the farmers and companies involved in the program are planting the seeds of change. Visit the Rainforest Alliance website to learn more about sustainable coffee farming.