Exclusive Trademarks & Certifications
Rainforest Alliance Certification
Rainforest Alliance has become the most well-known holistic certification for coffee.
It requires elements of environmental, economic, and social issues to meet minimum standards. Important principles include biodiversity conservation, improved livelihoods and human well-being, natural resource conservation, and effective planning and farm management systems.
This scheme works on a point system and is implemented by multiple certifying bodies worldwide.
In 2001, Distant Lands Hacienda Rio Negro became the first coffee farm in Costa Rica to earn Rainforest Alliance certification. Shortly thereafter, our Hacienda La Minita farm earned Rainforest Alliance certification, and our coffee mills in Costa Rica and Colombia were Chain of Custody certified to sell coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms.
Healthy land and water systems directly influence coffee quality. The Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal helps guarantee that strict environmental and social standards have been met in the production of these coffees. Our farms and mills are audited annually, and we continue to meet or exceed those standards.
We are actively engaged in assisting coffee farmers attain certification, and are continually sourcing additional Rainforest Alliance Certified™ coffees direct from suppliers in all of the countries where we operate.
Exclusive Trademarks
We pride ourselves in our ability to provide specialty coffee and service to our clients by bringing them together with our producers to share program goals. We work together with our clients to identify unique desirable microclimates within our production zones and set up receiving stations within these zones. This enables us to develop and enact quality assurance standards throughout harvest and the receipt of fruit. We offer a premium to our own and partnering producers to incentivize them to deliver fruit of our quality standards. Fruit is segregated through the production process to maintain the unique flavor character of the zone.
3rd Party Certifications
We offer our partners the option of purchasing many of our coffees with third party certifications. We have a particular expertise and growing experience with Rainforest Alliance certified coffees, but also have access to a wide range of certified production in each country where we work. We take particular pride in being able to solve unique customer needs with cup profile, traceability and certification.
All of our farms and mills are Rainforest Alliance Certified™ certified. The Rainforest Alliance seal guarantees that strict environmental and social standards have been met in the production of these coffees.
USDA Certified Organic coffees are free from herbicides, pesticides, or chemical inputs at farm level and during processing. This certification takes health of environment, workers, and end consumers into account.
We offer Fair Trade Certified™ coffees furthering our commitment to the environment, and to farmers and coffee workers everywhere. This is a social certification, guaranteeing a minimum floor price to co-op or producer.
Members of our team have served on the Environmental Committee and Sustainability Council of the Specialty Coffee Association. We have been active participants in the dialogue of global sustainability for decades.
We provide options for those seeking water-processed decaffeinated coffees. The Swiss Water® Process uses only water, temperature, and time to gently remove caffeine, while preserving all the coffee’s original characteristics."