This is the first coffee I’ve purchased which is part of a Direct Trade program. The prices for these coffees are paid directly to the farm. This effectively assures that our dollar is going where we want it to.. to the one who did the work.
Fair Trade is a great program when wall-street is down. It guarantees a flat rate for coffee. But when the market for coffee is strong (like today), it matters little. On top of that, only a Co-op can participate in the Fair Trade program. That means that, as an independent small-plot farmer, you are not able to gain this price protection by yourself. You must sell your coffee to a Coop who is certified Fair-Trade, and even then, there are no guarantees in place that the Co-op must pass back the premium he gets from the program. I’m not saying that Fair Trade is bad, I’m just saying that a direct trade is better.
The El Tambor farm finished 7th in this years Cup of Excellence for Guatemala. This is truely one of the worlds greatest coffees!
The Fair Trade price has enabled Persatuan Petani Kopi Gayo Organik to establish various social and productive programs:
Productive Investment:
Community nurseries provide improved and grafted coffee and shade tree seedlings. Farmers receive training in growing additional crops such as vanilla, potatoes, and bananas for the market. The co-op has made improvements to the water supply, local roads, mosques, and schools. PPKGO has constructed two cupping labs and 16 satellite wet mills in producing communities. PPKGO offers its members training in coffee cupping and organic certification requirements.
Environment:
PPKGO mobilized relief efforts to assist people affected by the earthquake-tsunami that struck Southeast Asia in December 2004.
Credit Program:
Co-op members now use a credit union that extends small loans to members and their families, alleviating dependence on outside financing.
Health:
PPKGO provides medical training to village nurses and distributes milk for babies.
Chiapas was hit harder than most any other region when coffee hit the 100 year low in 2001. The majority of the Chiapanecos were struggling to feed their families, and an estimated 500 coffee producing families a week migraded north from their parcels to seek work in the sweat-shop driven urban areas. At the same time, multinational corporations were continuing to reap all-time profits as a result of the low coffee prices…. for example, Starbucks was celebrating a 41% increase in profits and admittedly only participated in the Fair-Trade program for about 1% of their coffee purchases that same year.
By purchasing Fair-Trade and Organic coffees from the Chiapas Region, we are guaranteed a fair price paid to the grower, a child-labor free product and only Sustainable Methods used for growth and preperation.
This coffee is very delicate, and IMO best in an espresso blend, but also wonderful for the light coffee lovers… good for a delicate meal, great after pie and wonderful in the press!
Fair Trade and Organic
Mexico FTO Chiapas
Price: $11.95
Blended Coffees
Grateful Roast spends a lot of time crafting its coffees and artfully blending our signature roasts to their peak of flavor. By the time we release a new coffee to our customers, it has undergone extensive experimentation with roast profiles until we finally lock on the desired essence of the coffee.
Midnight Rambler:
Earthy, Bold, Cafinated. Balanced by not boring. Sweet cherry spice.
Fair Trade and Organic
Great espresso is nothing short of a work of art. There are a number of very good roasters who spent years, decades even, perfecting their blend. I’ve seen some espresso made up of 7 or more different coffees with each bean adding its own little nuance to the cup. It gets very cool.
We are a micro-roaster in every since of the word. We work with anywhere between three and five different coffees at one time, and when one of those coffees go, chance are, it’s gone for the season. And once the next harvest comes around, the bean is usually so different that it doesn’t do the same thing in the roast as the year prior, so it’s counterproductive for us to keep the same coffee in stock year round for the sake of keeping our signature espresso.
That said, we’ve decided to implement a Workshop Espresso. Since coffees change, let’s change with it! Some months we will be offering a Single Origin as an Espresso, and other months I’ll have a blend available under the same moniker. No matter what it is, it will be a thing of beauty, and in constant workings of artisanship… a work of art.
This month, we are enjoying a sweet, rich toffee and creamy butter.. entering into caramel with the addition of milk.
