A Month of Coffee Gratitude from Cafe Campesino

“It Takes a Village,” and We Couldn’t be Happier with Ours

There is no better way for us to celebrate Thanksgiving than through gratitude.  Each week in November we will showcase a critical element in our supply chain for which we are IMMENSELY grateful. 

From the small-scale farmers who grow our coffee, to our customers who purchase it, to our staff who take great care in their jobs, to our overall community both at home and abroad who support  fair-trade, organic coffee – we are so grateful for everyone who makes Café Campesino happen.

What is happening at Café Campesino?

Over the summer, we quietly produced our first-ever impact report.   For years, we’ve been so busy doing the work of fair-trade, organic coffee, we’ve often forgotten to take a step back and assess what’s been happening. 

With the help of Cooperative Coffees, our green-coffee importer that has taken a leadership role in price transparency and farmer-oriented sourcing, we were able to distill some pretty interesting information.

Here’s what we’ve learned from our first-ever Impact Report

• Since 1998, Café Campesino Inc. has purchased more than 2.6 million pounds of fair trade, organic coffee. 
  
• We’ve made more than 55 trips to origin to visit coffee producers. 
  
• We’ve maintained long-term trading relationships with farmer-owned cooperatives- at least five having lasted 14 years or longer. 

• In 2018, $66,583 or our green coffee purchases were directed to fair trade and organic premiums, meaning farmers were either reinvesting in their own capacity to farm organically or in their ability to sustain their communities.

• From 2017-2018, we directed an additional $15,000 to farmer-designed projects that helped farmers improve their organic farming techniques. 

2019 Work to Share

Not featured in our 2018 Impact Report are two other key developments we look forward to documenting in the future.

This year, we supported a Cooperative Coffees-led initiative that will one day allow small-scale farmers to measure the amount of carbon they sequester on their lands.  More on this to come in 2020, but the prospect of measuring the carbon sequestration power of a small-scale coffee farm is exciting to us. It could help create true incentives for regenerative agricultural practices.

Also this year, we took a price transparency pledge alongside coffee companies from around the world. We believe that making free-on-board (FOB) pricing available to the public is the first step of many to help correct a broken pricing structure in the specialty coffee industry.

You’re on the Team

Café Campesino doesn’t do this on its own.  We do it in partnership with you- coffee consumers who care- and with coffee producers who know how to improve their own livelihoods.  Together, we are making an impact where it matters. 

And we know time is of the essence.  Coffee yields have already been affected by changes in weather patterns.  Carbon emissions are continuing to warm the planet at a rapid pace.  Coffee farmers face – yet again- a pricing crisis that makes the prospect of farming untenable for future generations. 

But – together- we can do our part to find solutions.  We can pay for (and hopefully incentivize) regenerative agricultural practices.  We can ensure farmers get a minimum of $2.20 per pound- a price requested by the Small Producers Group nearly 2 years ago. We can hold businesses accountable – asking for price-and-volume transparency from some of our favorite coffee companies.

How We Say ‘Thanks’: 20% off All Coffees in November

As we propel toward a more sustainable hope for specialty coffee, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude for how far we’ve come.  As a small token or our appreciation, we are offering 20% off all roasted coffees purchased online in November. 

Simply use the code thanks20 at online checkout to redeem the discount. Shop Now.

Thank you so much for your support.  Share your coffee passion with friends.  And be ready to galvanize your friends and followers, because we’ve got a lot of work to do in the coming years to take our sustainable supply chain even further. 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”- Margaret Mead