Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op is a Canadian importer of

fair trade coffee Fair trade coffee is coffee that is certified as having been produced to fair trade standards by fair trade organizations, which create trading partnerships that are based on dialogue, transparency and respect, with the goal of achieving greater ...

, tea, sugar, and

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civil ...

. Based in

Grand Pré, Nova Scotia Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and commun ...

, Just Us! products are sold throughout Canada, typically in shops specializing in

fair trade Fair trade is an arrangement designed to help producers in developing countries achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships. The fair trade movement combines the payment of higher prices to exporters with improved social and envir ...

goods such as Ten Thousand Villages. The company was founded in 1996 by Jeff and Debra Moore and 3 friends, after a visit by Jeff Moore to the mountainous coffee-producing regions of Mexico in December 1995. The name was conceived as a pun on the word

justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

, reflecting the motivations behind the

movement.

The business began as a coffee roastery in New Minas. Just Us! was a trailblazer in the coffee industry as the first fair trade coffee roaster in Canada, starting a movement that lead to many other fair trade roasters in Canada. The business was started to serve as an example of alternative forms of business. The company is still a worker co-operative focusing on social and

environmental justice Environmental justice is a social movement to address the unfair exposure of poor and marginalized communities to harms from hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses.Schlosberg, David. (2007) ''Defining Environmental Justice ...

to this day. Just Us! uses coffee as a vehicle for change. Rather than using the charity model to support farmers in the Global South, Justice partners with producers to empower them to take control over their own land, food, and their lives. They aim to show the world the benefits of social enterprise and using business for the greater good. The roastery is now located in Grand-Pre. Fair Trade remains the main focus of the business. Just Us! has extended its product line to include chocolate, teas, and sugar and expanded operations to include a

factory in

. Just Us! has two cafes in

Wolfville, Nova Scotia Wolfville is a Canadian town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. The town is home to Acadia University and Landmark East School. The town is a tourist destination du ...

and

Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia Grand-Pré () is a Canadian rural community in Kings County, Nova Scotia. Its French name translates to "Great/Large Meadow" and the community lies at the eastern edge of the Annapolis Valley several kilometres east of the town of Wolfville o ...

and wholesales to countless cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores across Atlantic Canada. They also sell their products on their online store. Canada 150, Mi'kmaki 13000 Just Us! has also gained international attention for its statement made through its road sign and posted on social media stating,
Canada 150, Mi'kmaki 13000
. The sign was made as an effort to bring attention to the struggles of Indigenous peoples living in Canada during the widespread celebrations of Canada's 150th birthday.

References

External links

Just Us! official website and online store
* Fair trade brands Coffee brands Companies based in Nova Scotia Food and drink companies of Canada Food and drink companies established in 1995 Worker cooperatives of Canada 1995 establishments in Nova Scotia {{coffee-stub