Our Mission
Java Planet Organic Coffee Roasters is a family owned business that has been providing 100% certified organic and Fair Trade Coffee to families and businesses throughout the Tampa Bay area since 2009. Java Planet is committed to providing the highest quality product that also supports a healthy body, a healthy community and a healthy planet, as well as ensuring the growers of the coffee are fairly compensated. To differentiate our business and innovative approach to coffee roasting, Java Planet has obtained certifications with the following organizations:
- Certified Organic by Americert International
- Fair Trade USA
- Rainforest Alliance
- Bird Friendly (Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center)
Java Planet started with one mission: to educate people about the importance of buying and consuming organic products.
To this day, Java Planet is the largest provider of USDA certified organic coffee in Tampa, importing the product from certified suppliers from all over the world. We are committed to ongoing education about the importance of drinking coffee that is certified organic and Fair Trade. We provide education through many events throughout Florida, including the Sustainable Buzz and Mayor’s Mac and Cheese Throwdown events in Tampa, as well as USF environmental events, including the Earth Day EcoFest Celebration for the past five years.
Our commitment to education has provided Java Planet with a steady growth of new customers throughout Florida, both individuals and businesses, based on a better understanding of what buying certified organic and Fair Trade means to themselves and the environment. Java Planet has also seen a behavioral change as the result of their education, with returning customers expressing their exclusive commitment to organic coffee and other products. Customers share that the organic coffee, free of chemicals, does not give them an upset stomach, heart palpitations or the jitters, as they had experienced with traditionally produced coffee.
Java Planet supports many organizations and events by providing coffee to support fundraisers of like-minded groups and to those in need.
For example:
- Java Planet has been a sponsor, and a Friend of the Sweetwater Organic Community Farm in Tampa, for the last five years by donating and serving coffee at multiple fundraisers throughout each year in support of the farm.
- Java Planet has been donating coffee, shipping pallets and canvas shipping bags to The WELL, a nonprofit group in Tampa that helps those in need by providing food, shelter and counseling. Java Planet donated a coffee grinder and brewer to The WELL, who both sells the coffee to benefit their charity and also serves the coffee to their clients.
- Java Planet has donated coffee for the Have a Heart Fundraiser for Florida Voices for Animals.
- Coffee has been provided for the last five years for the Say No To Drugs holiday race in Clearwater.
- Donation of canvas coffee shipping bags to local schools and coffee grounds to farmers
- Tours of the roasting process to educate citizens and groups.
Java Planet is certified 100% organic and 90% of the Arabica coffee beans grown are also Fair Trade.
Being certified organic requires that the beans are grown in a natural way, which means that they are not chemically forced to grow faster or larger. There are no chemicals or fertilizers (toxic or otherwise) used anywhere in the supply chain – from the farm to the ship and through the roasting process. Chemicals are even prohibited in the cleaning of the production equipment or the roasting of coffee. When the coffee is roasted there are no toxic chemicals released into the air from the roaster and there are no toxic chemical residue on the roasted coffee beans, which are therefore are not transmitted to the consumers.
Learn more about Organic Coffee
Being a Fair Trade product means that the farmers receive proper compensation, which means that they can reinvest in their farms and their communities.