Ethical Soda Pop
November 13, 2008
When it comes to Fair-Trade, Organic Soda Pop, there is only one certified company out there, and that’s JavaPop. But it’s not your normal Soda, it’s Coffee Soda. I’ve never had Coffee soda so I’m not 
sure if it fits in with the Pepsi and Dr. Pepper products, but it is a Soda, and your coffee addicts might just love it. JavaPop was created to fill the niche market of beverages for those looking for Fair Trade options. They get their beans from a well established fair trade roaster, Green Mountain Coffee, so you can be pretty sure it’s the quality and value your expecting.
The thing is, I don’t really like coffee, so I wanted to make sure I highlight another company that might also be worth buying from: Jones Soda. The only reason I was hesitant to highlight Jones is because there isn’t a lot of information on their website or elsewhere explaining why they might fit with our values and ethics, but there also wasn’t any criticism (though they are smaller so that’s not too surprising).
Their profile on Knowmore.org has only a praise listed and they have pretty good ratings (compared to 
others). If you’re looking for Organic, they have a whole line of organic teas—USDA certified organic at that.
Here are some other highlights:
- Jones Soda Co. announced today its support of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA). Jones Soda will raise a minimum of $25,000 (US) for ADA and $5,000 (CAN) for CDA to further diabetes research, information and advocacy.
- Jones Soda uses recycled products to create their bottles and encourages consumer recycling
- Jones uses pure cane sugar for their sodas, not High Fructose Corn Syrup.
- They have this great line hinting at alternative fuel ideas: “So leave the corn for your cars, and keep the sugar for your soda.”
I couldn’t find conclusive evidence about the distribution and where their ingredients and materials come from, but from what I could see I think they are completely made in the USA. Jones Soda, as you might know, is a fun company that displays consumer submitted photos on all their bottles. They are unique and different and I think they are more willing to embrace responsible values then the big companies out there. So if you’re looking to quench your thirst, check out Jones Soda and JavaPop.
Ariah Fine lives in North Minneapolis with his beautiful wife and daughter. He is a blogger, community organizer, and author of Giving Up.
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