CoffeeCSA Connects Coffee Lovers Straight to the Farm
Farm Direct is a growing trend in our global economy. Going directly to the farmers, cutting out the middlemen who seem to find any way to hike prices higher than need be. Many agricultural communities are already offering CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture). CSA’s thrive in areas where consumers who are so passionate about direct farmer relationships that they become stakeholders in a farm’s harvest. These food lovers go beyond the farmers’ market to buy weekly, monthly or annual shares in local, seasonal fruits, vegetables, flowers, meat, dairy and even seafood. Coffee beans are not locally harvested so how does one support global coffee farmers?
The good news is that today CoffeeCSA.org launched the world’s first coffee CSA, connecting America’s coffee lovers with coffee farmers around the globe via the web.
CoffeeCSA.org is a community supported agriculture model that allows consumers to subscribe to regular deliveries of fresh-roasted coffee from small-scale farmers. CoffeeCSA is a project of Pachamama Coffee, the first global cooperative of coffee farmers, consisting of more than 140,000 small-scale farmer-owners in Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico and Ethiopia. Founded in 2001, Pachamama is the largest farmer-owned co-op based in the US. This authentic connection with consumers is unprecedented in the coffee industry, empowering farmers to differentiate outside of the commodity crop model and deal directly with consumers. All coffees are shade-grown and Fair Trade Certified, hand-roasted in small batches and available on the CoffeeCSA website; http://www.coffeecsa.org.
By offering CSA subscriptions to independent, family-owned coffee farms, CoffeeCSA gives coffee lovers the opportunity to invest in and enjoy the harvest of small-scale coffee farmers, helping them earn more money and preserve family farms for future generations. 140,000 farmer-owners grow coffee for CoffeeCSA on small farms whose size ranges from from one to 10 acres. “For people who treasure their coffee experience, CoffeeCSA is a powerful way to make a direct connection to the farmer,” said Thaleon Tremain, CEO, CoffeeCSA.org. “Subscribers secure their own personal share of a specific coffee harvest and support an individual farmer who works hard to grow the finest single-origin coffee available today. This is a real relationship, and a commitment which goes far beyond a label on a bag.”
Small-scale coffee farming is financially risky. Direct relationships with American coffee lovers can ensure stability for growers who struggle to cultivate a sensitive agricultural crop in a volatile global market. “I am proud of the coffee I grow, and I am proud that I make my own independent decisions as a coffee farmer.” said Catarina Yac, coffee farm owner from Santa Clara Laguna, Guatemala. “But I also like to learn from other people. I look forward to connecting with Americans who buy my coffee!”
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