Coastal Contenders East: Larry's Beans

From coast to coast, regular Americans are fighting human trafficking in creative and exceptional ways. Each month, your East and West Coast correspondents give you the play-by-play as contenders from both coasts battle the returning nemesis, modern-day slavery. Join us ringside for our East Coast/West Coast match-up and help these contenders become anti-slavery champions!

Pound-for-Pound Analysis

In This Corner: Larry’s Beans

Hailing from: Raleigh, N.C.

Division: Coffee roasting and retail

Reach: Using fair trade, relationship-based farming for all their coffee beans.

Matchup: Groundwork Coffee

My husband is a self-proclaimed “coffee snob,” meaning that our household coffee has to a) be bought as a bean, and b) taste good. No exceptions. When we first met, I didn’t even drink coffee. Six years later, guess who is up to two, sometimes three, cups a day. And guess who is also in charge of purchasing the beans. Luckily, I have discovered Larry’s Beans.

Fair Trade coffees make sense on so many levels. Not only do they provide coffee farmers with a living wage, but the coffee is grown, as Larry’s Beans suggests, with “hearts and souls.” The company is a founding member of Cooperative Coffees, a group of 23 independent U.S. and Canadian roasters committed to fair trade values, sustainability and transparency in the coffee production process. And with this company, it’s not just business, it’s personal: Taking regular international trips, Larry’s Beans makes sure to build direct personal relationships with the farmers who produce their coffee.

Indeed, it seems that soulfulness in a coffee is equally important as sugar and cream. Because Larry’s Beans, I can personally attest, are delish.

In addition to fighting labor-trafficking practices with the purchase of Larry’s Beans, you can celebrate Earth Day by supporting a business devoted to greenness. This fantastic coffee is shade-grown, certified organic and sold in a 100-percent biodegradable bag that can be used for home compost. It is delivered locally in the Raleigh, N.C., area with vehicles that use waste vegetable oil. The bean-roasting facility itself has been decked out with reclaimed wood, low-flush toilets and natural lighting.

Larry’s Beans is coffee with a conscience! And clever. Perusing the online shop, I love the flavor descriptions, which read like especially satisfying wine label copy. Order online with free shipping on purchases over $75, or use the site’s search tool to find Larry’s Beans at a store or restaurant near you. Cheers!

If you know of a contender in this division, please tell us about them in the comments below! If you know of a business, group, or individual fighting against trafficking and would like to see them profiled here, please e-mail us.

Photo credit: bfurnace