The coffee lands are many miles away from our roasting facility nestled in the boreal forest of Yukon. With this in mind, Bean North has been doing what we could to manage the carbon footprint involved in the transportation, roasting and distribution of our coffees.  Where possible, we made choices that kept our impact to a minimum. However, the reality is fresh roasted specialty coffee creates carbon.

In early 2011, through a contact working in Nicaragua with La FEM, a women’s coffee growing coop, Bean North was introduced to the terrific folks from Taking Root. Taking Root is a non-profit organization based in Montréal, Québec with a mission to use reforestation to restore ecosystems, improve livelihoods, and tackle climate change. Currently, they are engaged in a reforestation program in the same region as the La FEM coop whom Bean North currently buys coffee from.

This connection to the coffee lands immediately sparked our interest and after many conversations and questions, Bean North signed on.  Immediately, we began to gather all the necessary information required so Taking Root could complete an audit to determine our actual footprint. We started in the coffee fields, followed the path of our coffees to Yukon, and then on to you; accounting for every measurable amount of carbon used in the entire chain.

All of us at Bean North were under the assumption our footprint would be much greater than that of a roaster of similar size located in southern Canada, with similar environmental objectives in mind.

As it turns out, Santropol Coffee from Montréal had also signed on with Taking Root. We knew Santropol’s business model well, as they had recently applied and been accepted for membership in Coop Coffees.

This gave us a great opportunity to share and compare information when the audits were complete. We realized the carbon released into the atmosphere (per kilo of coffee) after importing, transporting and roasting coffee in Yukon was not much greater than doing the same in Montréal. By no means are we trying to play down the environmental impact of our business however it is exciting to learn that the impact is much lower than our original assumptions.

• To make each kilo of Bean North Coffee, 1.7 kg of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. That’s like driving a car for 6.6 km.
• To make each kilo of Santropol Coffee, 1.5 kg of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. That’s like driving a car for 5.8 km.

With the tools and resources now in place, Bean North can properly manage its carbon footprint, promote its ongoing commitment to the environment and build a stronger financial base with the savings made, by better managing the carbon we currently use. 

Samuel Gervais, Taking Root’s Co-Executive Director and Co-founder says,  “Our first CO2 Responsible partners, Santropol and Bean North, are setting a new standard for business.” “It’s not just a matter of calling yourself carbon neutral; being CO2 Responsible is an active process that means improving how your business works and thinking about your environmental impact on a global scale.”

Bean North is thrilled to be in partnership with Taking Root. Finally, as we move into our 15th year of fresh roasting great quality, fair trade organic coffees from our friends and partners in the south, we are proud to announce all of our coffee products are now “CO2 Responsible”.

Thanks everyone, for being so patient!

From the Gang at Bean North Coffee Roasting Co. Ltd!

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