Most of us know we have a long way to go, but feel like we either don’t know the route or have no idea if we’re on the right track.

Buying, roasting, and selling coffee exists in this very contradiction.

Today, specialty coffee roasters around the world are poised to do tremendous amounts of good for people on both ends of our supply chain: the growers in source countries and the customers who purchase our roasted coffee. But this situation has only arisen after years of exploitation and commodification have robbed both these groups of what ought to be the true value of a crop like coffee: an equitable income for the people who make it possible, and a quality experience for those who enjoy the final product.

As of this moment, there’s no one way to reconcile these ills, and more ways of doing it wrong than of doing it right. We’re beginning in the middle of forces that are difficult to understand in their historical dimensions, let alone their modern-day impacts.

This means our primary effort ought to be committing ourselves to learning how to make the coffee supply chain more sustainable and equitable for all; searching out how to cultivate the potentially tremendous value for all involved. Second, we have to put what we’re learning into practice in how we buy, roast, and sell coffee. Finally, we’ll communicate our knowledge and practices, inviting you into our journey with the transparency to acknowledge ongoing issues and celebrate successful initiatives.

You can begin in the middle with us here.