Many cities across the country are embracing bike riders and promoting a healthier, greener way of life. Bike friendly cities boost segregated bike lanes, municipal bike racks, bike boulevards, diverse biking cultures, and savvy bike shops.

One stands above the rest, according to Bicycling’s America’s Best Bike Cities, and was ranked the #1 bike friendly city.   That city is Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is also home to a cool bike peddling Fair Trade coffee roaster, Peace Coffee!

Peace Coffee’s offices and roastery are located in a green building in the heart of south Minneapolis.  They roast 5 days a week to ensure “super fresh, fabulous coffee”.   Peace Coffee’s line is 100% Fair Trade certified (Fair Trade USA), and they are a member of the Fair Trade Federation.

They source their beans from Columbia, Guatemala, Peru, Ethiopia, just to name a few, and offer 6 grinding options.  As a founding member of Cooperative Coffees, they and other coop members, purchase their coffee directly from small scale farmers fostering a more equitable and sustainable relationship with partner-farmers.

From the beginning, Peace Coffee implemented a bicycle-powered delivery policy wherever possible.  Their motto “Roast beans, not fossil fuel” speaks to their commitment to the environment.

On their website you can find stories and a photo gallery of the bikers, one such entry is telling of their commitment to cycling:

“…like riding 40 miles on a day that barely saw negative 15 degrees. A day so cold that my breath froze into a five inch long icicle that dangled from my face mask.”

Sounds painful!

While bicycling is an integral part of Peace Coffee’s business model, for many in the developing world, it is a matter of survival.  In Part 2, we’ll look at how bicycle ownership impacts trade and education in developing communities.

Bike image: stock exchange
Coffee and cycling images: Peace Coffee

Tell me, would you ride 40 miles in negative 15 degrees to deliver Fair Trade coffee?