Going beyond the concept of “green business,” momentum is growing for businesses driving social change. Equator Coffees & Teas, already known for ethical sourcing, stellar employment practices, and strong commitment to environmental sustainability, joins a new and growing class of company that uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.  Certified B Corporations must meet comprehensive and transparent performance standards that measure a company’s impact on its employees, suppliers, community, and the environment. 

Becoming the first Bay Area coffee roaster certified as a B Corporation is just the most recent “first” in a string of ethical “firsts” for Equator. Equator was one of the first coffee roasters to invest in a Loring Smart Roaster, which uses 80% less natural gas than traditional roasters and emits fewer pollutants. Equator is one of a handful of roasters that owns a coffee farm. In 2007, Equator purchased Finca Sophia in Panama and has since built eco-friendly housing equipped with clean burning cookstoves and flush toilets for the workers living on the farm. Equator was the first roaster in the Bay Area to sign on to sell Fair Trade Certified coffee. Today over 50% of Equator’s coffees are certified Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or some combination of all three. In 2008 Equator became a certified Bay Area Green Business.

“We’ve always believed that social responsibility and environmental sustainability lead to the highest quality coffee”, said Helen Russell, Co-founder and CEO of Equator. “It’s fantastic that there is now a legal framework for corporations who go beyond the bottom line and consider the impact of their decisions on their employees, suppliers, community, consumers, and environment. We are very proud to be a Certified B Corp.”

Equator engages in a number of social ventures in coffee growing communities that illustrate the power of ethical business. These ventures not only help coffee farmers and producers live more dignified lives, and protect the environment, but they also ensure the highest quality coffee for Equator’s stable of high profile clients including Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, La Boulange Bakeries, and Joie de Vivre Hospitality.

“Equator’s unwavering commitment to quality is a wonderful example of a sustainable business model that reaches from the farm through to the cup. We have collaborated with Equator on our restaurant group's coffee program for 12 years because we share the core value that quality is a result of the utmost care at every step of the process. This approach reflects my ideal: every element of our guests’ experience is precisely chosen - including the coffee we serve in our dining rooms," Thomas Keller, Chef/Owner, The French Laundry.

About Equator Coffees & Teas
San Rafael, CA-based Equator Coffees & Teas (www.EquatorCoffees.com) is a coffee roaster, tea purveyor and coffee farm owner offering distinctive boutique coffees and rare teas to fine restaurants, hotels, bakeries and retailers. Obsessive attention to green coffee sourcing, uncompromising roasting expertise and a 17-year commitment to sustainability create a remarkable experience in every cup. A women-owned green business, Equator works tirelessly to empower every link of the supply chain, from growers and their communities around the globe, to the natural environment, through to coffee-lovers who savor taste and integrity in their Organic, Fair Trade Certified coffees. Ahead of the curve on climate change, Equator is proud to be one of the first roasters in the nation to utilize the Loring Smart Roaster, which reduces carbon emissions by 80% without compromising artisan quality. Equator has won numerous awards including a Good Food Award (2012), Association for Corporate Growth (2011), Roast Magazine’s Roaster of the Year (2010), the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Business (2009, 2010), National Association of Women Business Owners – Trail Blazer Award (2009), Women’s Initiative, Women Owned Business of The Year (2009), Small Business of the Year for the 6th District by state Assemblyman Jared Huffman (2009), San Francisco’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Woman Owned Businesses (9 years in a row), and the Specialty Coffee Association’s annual Roasters Choice Award (2009). Customers include the French Laundry, Bouchon Restaurants and Bakeries, Jardiniere, Morimoto’s, El Paseo, Tavern in Los Angeles, Bay Bread, La Boulange and Whole Foods.

About B Corp
Certified B Corporations 1) meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance; 2) legally expand their corporate responsibilities to include consideration of stakeholder interests; and 3) build collective voice through the power of the unifying B Corporation brand.  As of January 2012, there are over 515 Certified B Corporations from over 60 industries, representing a diverse multi-billion marketplace. 

Equator Coffees and Teas

Equator Coffees and Teas

About Equator Coffees & Teas San Rafael, CA-based Equator Coffees & Teas (www.EquatorCoffees.com) is a coffee roaster, tea purveyor and coffee farm owner offering distinctive micro-lot coffees and rare teas to fine restaurants, hotels, bakeries and retailers. Obsessive attention to green coffee sourcing, uncompromising roasting expertise and a 16-year commitment to sustainability create a remarkable experience in every cup. A women-owned green business, Equator works tirelessly to empower every link of the supply chain, from growers and their communities around the globe, to the natural environment, through to coffee-lovers who savor taste and integrity in their Organic, Fair Trade Certified coffees. Ahead of the curve on climate change, Equator is proud to be one of the first roasters in the nation to utilize the Loring Smart Roaster, which reduces carbon emissions by 80% without compromising artisan quality. Equator has won numerous awards including Roast Magazine’s Roaster of the Year (2010), the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Business (2009, 2010), National Association of Women Business Owners - Trail Blazer Award (2009), Women’s Initiative, Women Owned Business of The Year (2009), Small Business of the Year for the 6th District by state Assemblyman Jared Huffman (2009), San Francisco’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Woman Owned Businesses (9 years in a row) and the Specialty Coffee Association’s annual Roasters Choice Award (2009). Customers include the French Laundry, Bouchon Restaurants and Bakeries, Jardiniere, Citizen Cake, Tavern in Los Angeles, Bay Bread, La Boulange and Whole Foods.

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