The Sustainable Origin Story Of Equator Coffees

Though Equator Coffees was named for the globe-encircling area in which all of the world's coffee is grown and harvested, the company's founders have set out to redefine the way in which coffee businesses operate and coffee beans are sourced. Sustainability and social responsibility have been brewed into the fabric of the company since its humble beginnings in a California garage in the 1990s. Four years after its conception, Equator Coffees became Fair Trade Certified, and in 2011, the Californian roaster was the first of its kind to become a Certified B Corporation. These affiliations aren't the only ways the business has been forging ahead with sustainability as its compass.

Recently, in 2024, Equator launched its own Regenerative Organic Blend, a mix made up of coffees harvested under the umbrella of what is known as regenerative agriculture, a series of holistic farming practices in which the ecosystem is viewed as interconnected and farming methods seek to alleviate the impact and effects of climate change while producing quality products. This is one of the first coffees produced in this way that has been brought to market and made commercially available. The blend evolves with the seasons, as farmers look to maintain soil health and promote biodiversity while mindfully harvesting crops. 

Equator Coffees takes pride in the Fair Trade label stamped on its coffee bags, as the mark is a clear indicator of the company's persistent commitment to protecting the environment, creating sustainable and safe conditions for workers, contributing to community development projects, and helping coffee farmers earn fair pay. Both the company's coffee farm and roasting facility undergo a yearly audit to meet U.S. Fair Trade coffee requirements. Additionally, Equator produces USDA Organic coffees, another association that evaluates agricultural practices in order for companies to meet set organic standards. 

While the Equator Cafes are sprinkled in and around San Francisco and Los Angeles, it is possible to buy Equator Coffees on Amazon or even subscribe to its coffee subscription service. Yet even as Equator Coffees has expanded to reach a wider audience, the company's values have remained at the heart of business operations. When shopping for any coffee, always be sure to examine sustainable coffee labels closely to determine which certifications and associations a coffee company has established. As with Equator Coffees and other socially-minded businesses, not only do sustainability practices refer to the environment, but companies driven in this way also look to make sourcing and supply chain decisions transparent and accessible to consumers.