Good Coffee Should Also Give Something Back
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Great coffee depends on more than what’s in the cup. It depends on healthy farms, thriving farming communities, and the people who work hard to grow it. If we want great coffee to be around for generations to come, we all have a responsibility to help make that possible. And the oppressive “C” market system just isn’t working.
That’s the idea behind the Coffee Change Fund, an initiative led by Marianella Baez Jost, co-founder of Farmers Project, to help address the financial challenges coffee farmers face. Rising costs, unpredictable markets, and the expense of farming responsibly make it difficult for producers to invest in the long-term health of their farms.
The Fund is working to create a transparent, traceable way for coffee businesses and consumers to invest directly in the future of coffee farming. Contributions are intended to help farmers access environmentally responsible agricultural inputs that support soil health, regenerative practices, and more sustainable production.
For me, this initiative has been years in the making. Seven or eight years ago, Marianella and I sat together at our 858 N. State Street cafe and discussed the idea of finding a better way to support coffee farmers and share the responsibility of sustaining the industry. Seeing that conversation evolve into Coffee Change Fund is incredibly exciting, and we’re proud that Big Shoulders Coffee can help bring it to life as a pioneering partner.
We believe supporting the people who grow our coffee is part of our responsibility as a coffee company. The industry depends on farmers, yet too often the burden of maintaining healthy, productive farms falls almost entirely on them. If we all benefit from great coffee, we should all have a role in helping to support the people and places that make it possible.
For every bag of Sircof Estate Special Honey sold, we’ll contribute $15 to Coffee Change Fund, connecting the coffee we share with a commitment to the future of the industry.
This is about more than a single farm or a single coffee. It’s about building a model where giving back becomes a shared, ongoing commitment not an occasional gesture. One where roasters, businesses, and consumers recognize that the future of great coffee depends on the people who grow it.
We love coffee. We want future generations to love it, too. Making that possible starts with recognizing our responsibility of finding a different path to directly support the people and soil behind every cup. Good coffee starts at the farm. Its future depends on all of us and Coffee Change Fund is the most interesting development I’ve seen in the 16-years I’ve been in coffee.
