Our climate isn’t hospitable to certain vegetation such as coffee, so even the most dedicated locavore might need to make an exception for a cuppa joe. Like local eats, both coffee houses and consumers are looking for traceability, sustainability and community when they buy their beans, roast and blend them, and plant some profits to do good at home.

Fair Trade, Organic, and Bird Friendly are a few of the certifications that ensure a sustainable and fair supply chain, but some New Hampshire-based coffee shops are going beyond labels and building relationships directly with farmers or roasting their beans locally. And, many are donating a portion of their profits to support local charities as well as international relief organizations.

“There are lots of ways you can use coffee to make the world a better place,” said Derek LaBorie from Port City Coffee Roasters in Portsmouth. He considers about 40 percent of his coffees as “sustainable” but like many of the New Hampshire based coffee houses, his coffee also supports a cause. Derek and his brother launched Muddy Paw Coffee Company which gives up to $2 off every bag of coffee to help animal rescue charities and other groups that promote the connection between people and their pets.

Bonhoeffer’s Café & Espresso, a non-profit in Nashua buys their coffee from A&E Custom Coffee Roastery in Amherst that roast all organically grown and Fair Trade certified coffee. All (yes all) the profits from Bonhoeffer’s are donated to orphans and refugees to provide food, housing, medical supplies and educational opportunities in countries like Tanzania via the program Hope and Life in Nashua. (Bonhoeffer’s is named after Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor who participated in the movement against Nazism.) Bonhoeffer’s manager, Kathy Champagne, said that about half of their customers are “coffee aware” and want to know more about where their coffee comes from and appreciate that the profits go to a good cause.

Emeran Langmaid, owner of A&E Custom Coffee Roastery says that in the last 10 years, more and more people want to have a conversation about where there coffee comes from. A&E buys their beans directly from “green bean buyers” who only buy directly from the farmers. They get the raw bean and then roast their coffee in small batches in house. To educate consumers, A&E publishes a bi-monthly newsletter informing consumers about where the coffee is sourced and how it is grown. To support local organizations, they offer an opportunity to raise funds through coffee sales. They also support their local economy by donating coffee to events, raffles and fundraisers.

When Ed Goyette started Bean Towne Coffee 16 years ago in Cambridge, Massachusetts his only real options for beans were “off the shelf ” coffees. He’s since opened a store in Hampstead, New Hampshire. Now he buys what he refers to as “relationship coffee” that he gets from a micro roaster in Amherst, Massachusetts who buys directly from small to mid-range farmers instead of commercial growers. “Our roaster buys directly from the farmer, so we get the best coffee and are able to give them above-market price. No middleman, no mark up,” Goyette affirmed. The coffee is not “certified organic” because many of the farmers can’t afford to get certified. “But since many of them are small
they don’t need large doses of chemicals,” he said.Working so closely with the farmer can pose a challenge in that they carry the risk of the farmer having a bad year. “It happened last year,” Goyette reported. “Our farmers in India who produce Indian Elk Hill coffee had a bad year with lots of rain, and we just didn’t get the coffee.”

Prime Roast Coffee in Keene has been roasting small batches of coffee on site for nearly 20 years. Owner, Judy Rogers, said that about a third of her customers come in looking for fair trade coffee. “To some customers fair trade makes all the difference. For others it’s just about taste,” Rogers said. “We don’t limit ourselves to Fair Trade coffee because some farmers keep very high standards, but are not certified. It’s a lot of paperwork to be certified and a heavy paper trail must be maintained.” Rogers said that the supply of Fair Trade coffee is sometimes limited. “If
the Fair Trade coffee from Papa New Guinea isn’t available, we will still buy coffee, but it just won’t be certified.”

The coffee purveyors here agreed that everyone pays a bit more for Fair Trade or organic, but that to some it’s worth the price. As the farmers are becoming more accessible, the market is changing. “Fair Trade has served a purpose, but more people are looking beyond the label and finding out what is happening at that farm,’‘ said Langmaid of A&E.

Consider the source the next time you enjoy a “local” cuppa; ask your barista where the coffee beans were grown and roasted. Most of us will never personally meet a coffee grower, but given the impact coffee can have on our local community, as well as coffee plantation communities thousands of miles away, your coffee can have a conscience.

Tracey Miller is a holistic health counselor, health and wellness educator, cooking instructor, and a freelance journalist. You can find out more about her at www.traceymillerwellness.com or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .