On a recent trip to Africa, I was fortunate to visit several coffee farms and meet the local growers. The work is grueling, the market unpredictable, and the direct rewards minimal in light of the $80 billion coffee trade, in which most farmers around the world earn three cents for a $3 cup of coffee. Overly caffeinated San Francisco, aflutter with buzz about new cafés and roasters, is ground zero for the current coffee craze. But I wondered, while walking through the coffee fields and talking with the workers, (many of whom earn roughly $2 a day), if most folks here also make the connection to the global implications of their morning Joe.

Coffee, the U.S.’s largest food import and second most valuable traded commodity only after oil, is rife with complex issues involving human labor, the environment, and international trade, all of which are succinctly laid out in the 2006 documentary Black Gold and in Daniel Jaffe’s Brewing Justice. According to Global Exchange, there are approximately 25 million farmers and coffee workers in over 50 countries involved in producing coffee around the world. Coffee producers, like most agricultural workers around the world, are kept in a cycle of poverty and debt by the current global economy designed to exploit cheap labor and keep consumer prices low.

The magnitude of the matter is staggering and one might wonder the best way to get a good and fair cup. Fortunately, one Bay Area roaster stands out for its commitment to quality, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility. Founded in 1995, San Rafael-based Equator Coffees & Teas has justifiably earned an outstanding reputation as coffee purveyors and roasters and is far ahead of the curve in advancing sustainability practices that encourage productive relationships and an empowered chain of supply.

Equator Co-Founders Brooke McDonnell & Helen Russel.

Co-founders Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell procure coffees from growers who practice responsible land stewardship and ensure superior quality through artisan blend development, efficient small-batch roasting, and cutting-edge brewing technology and training. Over half of Equator’s coffees are certified Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or a combination of all three. Named America’s 2010 Roaster of the Year in Roast Magazine’s highly competitive challenge, Equator triumphed over 40 of the country’s best coffee roasters for their special blend of quality, sustainability, and business innovation.

Russell and McDonnell see their work as part of a global community in an often over-inflated industry. They forge direct relationships with growers, purchased their own farm in Panama (its Geisha varietal will be harvested in 2012) where they support the local economy, and offer microcredit loans to their farmers, impacting the lives of growers worldwide as well as the long-term supply chain.

“We have a deep respect for the farmers’ work that translates into paying a fair price for our coffee, supporting farm projects and focusing on delivering a quality cup that does justice to their efforts,” McDonnell said.