Spillin’ the Beans shines the spotlight on coffee companies, large and small, but we particularly love to cover family-owned organizations like Driftaway Coffee.
By Samson Ray
Why Choose Driftaway?
Sometimes the heaviness and burden on the individual regarding climate change can be overwhelming. There are only so many things we can do that can actually make a difference in the environment. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism” then you may feel a bit bummed out by the little work you can do to help out.
In a world full of plastic and one-use coffee pods, Driftaway Coffee pursues sustainability in all meanings of the word. This AAPI and immigrant family-owned company believes in good work and bringing the love of coffee to all communities.
Making a Difference
I sit here writing this article drinking iced coffee from a plastic cup… with a paper straw. The little things I do, like walking to my favorite coffee shop, and recycling my leftover plastic, are the most I can do as an individual.
It’s companies like Driftaway that make a true difference. Each bag of coffee is 100% compostable and can be returned to the soil. These polylactide bags are made of natural and renewable materials such as corn husks and various types of plant straw. Even their packaging is made of compostable corn starch.
Backtracking their carbon footprint
Without a retail storefront, Driftaway reduces its carbon footprint by not requiring customers to commute to a specific location as well as being a direct-to-consumer company. They prioritize ground shipping and keep orders just a state away from the roastery in New York. On top of this, they also make a conscious effort to communicate with their farmers online as much as possible, thus reducing carbon emissions from air travel.
It’s a green flag for a company to be transparent about its carbon footprint and actively attempting to reduce it (with a breakdown of its energy consumption posted on its website!)
Even with all of their efforts to maintain sustainability regarding their product and shipping, Driftaway also funds the Alto Mayo protection project, a forest twice the size of NYC that covers nearly half a million acres of land and defends against deforestation. The Alto Mayo forest provides protection for 600 families that yield coffee beans.
Fair Trade for Families
Driftaway is transparent about the production of its coffee, including how it marks their coffee prices. Keeping people caffeinated in a busy world can be cheap- but at what cost to their workers? Driftaway strives to keep prices honest and openly shares the cost breakdown of packing a pound of coffee and shipping it to the consumer.
When it comes to coffee, the term Fair Trade refers to the equity between production cost and how much the farmers growing the beans are being paid to sell them to the company. The coffee market (or C-Market as it’s called in the biz) is, on average, lower than the Fair Trade price, meaning farmers are not receiving a fair and equitable price for their labor.
An Eye on the Future
Driftaway not only meets the Fair Trade price but nearly doubles it to ensure that their family farmers can put food on the table and continue to improve the quality of their product. Their belief is that providing these families with the income and tools to improve their crops and farmland is the best way to support them in the long run, rather than just providing them with smaller donations that wouldn’t last.
Driftaway wants its farmers to be able to provide for themselves for generations in the future, and that’s what makes them stand out.
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Drift Away With Your Perfect Match
With plenty of unique beans to choose from, Driftaway is the ideal choice for fresh coffee delivered right to your door bi-weekly or monthly!
Not sure which beans to choose? Driftaway offers an Explorer box- with five different roasts- as well as Zoom tasting classes led by their experts every Saturday. These calls cover how to really enjoy your coffee and include tips and tricks that many coffee enthusiasts may not even know about (but you’d have to join to find out for yourself!)
Feel Good About Every Sip
With so many beans to choose from and new ones being released all the time, Driftaway is confident in helping you find your perfect coffee match. With good coffee and good work, what’s not to love? Do some shopping on the Driftaway site. But return to Spillin’ the Beans often to stay on top of all things coffee, production, and making.
About the Author
Samson Ray is a recently graduated aspiring writer with a passion for coffee. He fell in love with being a barista in high school and still carries a love for the craft even when he moved onto a different path. With a defined taste for many different coffee experiences, he can guarantee your satisfaction and hope you learn to appreciate the brew life just as much.
