If you thought the coconut water craze was over, think again, because this potassium-packed drink is just getting started. And our friends at Harmless Harvest have upped the game with their Harmless Coffee Coconut Water. We simply LOVE it. And we love them.
In a Nutshell
Feeling disillusioned with their corporate America positions back in 2009, Harmless Harvest co-founder Justin Guilbert and his friend and co-founder Douglas Riboud decided it was time to make a difference. So they quit their jobs and hatched a plan to crack the coconut water business. After overcoming what may be grossly understated as “teething problems,” they successfully launched their first award-winning organic Harmless coconut water in 2011. “There were a lot of nervous breakdowns along the way,” says Guilbert of his company’s formative years. And there was a lot of favor pulling, too (Guilbert enlisted his sister to design the packaging, which was done as the two of them watched an episode of Seinfeld).
Making a Difference
In 2013 Harmless Harvest built a factory in Thailand, where all their coconuts are now sourced and harvested. They’re handpicked by locals (who are paid fair wages) and lowered to the ground by rope on over 3500 acres of lush farmland. The Harmless Harvest business model is based on ethical, sustainable organic farming and production at all levels of the supply chain. In September 2014, Harmless Harvest became the first Fair for Life fair trade certified coconut water in the U.S.
The Taste Test
So now to the big question… does Harmless coconut water actually taste better?
The answer? Can I get a “Heck, yeah!”
Because it’s organic, and unpasteurized, it’s as if you cracked open the coconut yourself. Our current favorite Harmless Harvest product is made with fair trade coffee from Peru, and we think it’s the perfect post-morning-workout beverage. Not only does it have a delicious hazelnut, caramel, and vanilla flavor, but there’s no jittery feeling after you drink it—and it hydrates rather than dehydrates.
More Good News
Harmless Harvest is committed to an eco-system based business model. Through the Fair for Life certification they will continue to share the welfare they create throughout the chain of custody from plant to farmers and workers to partners. It is their way of feeding the world while caring for the planet.
Harmless Harvest is proud to be the first Fair for Life certified coconut water. Fair for Life verifies our commitment to paying fair wages, providing decent working conditions abroad and in the USA, and reinvesting in the communities at the source. Harmless Harvest offers free healthcare to our partners through our Fair for Life initiatives, and since the program’s inception, we have provided medical and vision check-ups to 906 farmers and their communities, 80% of whom had never received medical care. And, since 2014, Harmless Harvest has provided healthcare to 2,215+ Thai farmers and their families through their mobile health care units.