Buying local food doesn’t always mean foods farmed locally. Looking at a market shelf, choosing a locally-roasted coffee and locally-crafted chocolate are great ways to support a worldwide community of food producers and enjoy a delicious treat.
Consumers may choose to shop for local products to reduce food miles, instead of opting for products imported from other states or countries. Bananas, avocados, and yes, even coffee and chocolate are brought in using transportation methods that add to a larger carbon footprint due to their tropical origins. Still, there are plenty of companies that promote their local chocolate and coffee as sustainable – how does that work?
For Higher Grounds Trading Company’s Learning Lab Director Jennifer Yeatts, it’s important to acknowledge that coffee, farmed organically in agroforestry methods, is a net negative for carbon emissions. This means that shade-grown coffee, grown without chemicals or pesticides, uses the plant’s native environment to farm in, which contributes to the ecological needs of native species and enriches the soil.
That being said, there is still an environmental cost to the final production of both coffee and chocolate. One way that Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate in Empire evaluates this cost is by shipping method, electing to purchase in container loads, rather than air-freight small batches of cacao/chocolate to our snowy climes.
Jody Hayden, the Owner of Grocer’s Daughter, explains that consumers should also consider cost when purchasing an item from a far-flung destination. “These are truly luxury foods that we haven’t always had easy access to,” she states, “and I think the price should better reflect this.” Yeatts agrees, adding that coffee should be viewed in the same way, but in reality, is a commodity – with artificially low prices paid to the farmer at a global scale.
Sourcing with a ‘Human Lens’
So where else does the sustainability aspect come into play when working with a tropical product? For both companies, it lands on ensuring the farmer is respected for their hard work, no matter where they live. Both companies focus on people-first sourcing, aligning themselves with small family farms, paying a fair price that can be reinvested in their community, and uplifting diverse growers practicing environmentally-friendly methods.
Beyond that, Yeatts adds that holding long-term contracts that growers can rely on is important as well. “Most of the coffee that we’re buying is coming from producer cooperatives that we’ve had relationships with for more than 10 years, and in many cases, more than 15 years. And what that does is build mutual trust and respect across organizations.”
Tropical and Local Foods in Michigan
So, how can we consider these foods truly local? “Our bulk chocolate is made at origin in Ecuador in order to keep good paying jobs and knowledge in the countries that most need them,” says Hayden “But we’re involved in those recipes, providing regular feedback on each new batch of chocolate.” Once this directed chocolate arrives in Michigan, Grocer’s Daughter makes hundreds of different treats, using dozens of other, locally-farmed or -sourced ingredients.
Yeatts adds that being a local food company is also about providing meaningful jobs in their hometown of Traverse City. “We want to be a place that people enjoy working, that they feel fulfilled, they feel respected.” Beyond that, Higher Grounds is involved in the community, contributing to and aiding causes that “jive with our mission of a human-centered business.”
So next time you pick up a bag of coffee beans or a chocolate bar, think about the journey and whose hands have created the luxury of enjoying locally-produced tropical food. You may be impacting more communities than you first imagined!
If you’d like to learn more about the sourcing and production methods for either company, we recommend their great classes:
Claire Butler is the Content Strategy Specialist for Taste the Local Difference. Contact her at [email protected].