Lasting Partnerships
We Know Our Farmers by Name
We talk to our farmers directly so we understand their farms and how we can work to excellent standards of coffee that bring about positive change in their communities.
We work with an indigenous community of small family farms that sit in Northern Colombia on the edge of the tropical rainforest at an altitude of between 1200 and 1800 metres. They are seventh generation coffee growers who have experience growing high-grade specialty coffee that is lower in acidity than that found further south. As a community they are led by the first female community leader, Aurora. She has been a driving force in attracting young people back into coffee growing and creating equality in the community. Not only this but she has been at the forefront of pioneering production techniques and training that have produced excellent coffees and developed 3 Q Graders (specialist tasters) from within the community. Their exceptional organic coffee is grown in a very remote setting with mules still being the main form of transport to the towns and villages. We are very lucky to enjoy their coffee and help to develop their community.
Ethical and Sustainable from Soil to Sip
By cutting out the middlemen we can pay our farmers up to 4 times more than supermarket commodity coffees while still offering you value for money.
Our Ugandan farmers can be found nestling in the shadows of Mount Elgon that provides a refuge for flora and fauna and the perfect place to produce our micro lot coffees. In simple terms a micro lot is the good stuff that has to have greater care and attention to grow the best coffee. In this region the farms are very small and they work together to produce and process their harvests. The community is supported by Dana, Michael and Shak who studied in Europe and moved to Uganda to promote the development of specialty coffee in the region. They have worked with the farmers to ensure best practice in processing, training and to provide guidance on securing loans to support the development of their farms. These incredible farmers are part of a community that trades ethically, cares about their environment and promotes gender equality.
Lasting Partnerships
We Know Our Factories by Name
We visit all of our factories before we start production and all have to meet our ethical standards and have SEDEX (or equivalent) registration to ensure transparency in our supply chain. This isn't Alibaba sourcing, it’s cramped flights and budget hotel rooms that make true partnerships.
We buy forward
When you take up a Barista & Co Regulars subscription this allows us to forward plan and make a financial guarantee to our farmers so they can invest in their land to bring about long term change for their family and community.
We Treat Everyone the Same
Our belief is that our customers, farmers and factories are of equal importance and we welcome all with a commitment to always work in partnership to deliver exceptional coffee with respect and empathy.
We are just getting started
As a small team and young company we understand that there is much more we can do. In 2021 we started the process to become a certified B Corp business and we hope that by the end of 2022 we have achieved this.