How you can help support the farmers who make your coffee

Welcome to the world of specialty coffee!

At Reyes Coffee, we’re farmers first and roasters second.

Our choice to farm our own beans and roast them ourselves isn’t without concern for the industry as a whole. We know that many coffee farmers are struggling to get paid what they deserve because of the current trade model.

We believe it’s time for all of us in the industry—coffee growers, roasters, and consumers alike—to unite and fight for a better future. We must come together and influence change to ensure that coffee farmers have a sustainable livelihood so they can continue growing the delicious coffee we all enjoy!

Farmers have little control over their coffee’s wildly fluctuating price.

The coffee trade is one of the world’s most complex and lucrative industries. It’s also one where, for the most part, the consumer is kept out of the loop.

The process itself may seem intuitive: farmers produce green beans that go to the market and are sold to roasters, who then turn them into the coffee you enjoy. So far, so good.

Coffee is a product of labor and requires hard work, dedication, and patience. Farmers spend all day working in the fields, only to see the price of their product set by middlemen who are unaware of the origin or quality of the beans.

Middlemen have an enormous influence on the price of coffee. They can manipulate it as they please, which means that farmers are often unaware of the true value of their product.

While you might think farmers are responsible for setting the price, this is not the case. There is no “fair” pricing system to determine how much farmers should be paid for their beans; Instead, prices are set by speculators and investors who don’t necessarily care about quality or origin when deciding how much money they’re going to make off each bean. This means most farmers only receive 10% of what you pay for a cup of coffee.

Today, many farmers openly speak about the exploitation they experience in the current trade model. As lovers of specialty coffee—and people who care about our planet—we must listen to their concerns. After all, if it becomes unprofitable for farmers to produce this amazing product… they’ll stop doing it. And that’s the last thing we’d want.

How can you help?

Imagine a world where coffee growers are paid fairly and treated with respect. That is the world that we are helping to create. At Reyes Coffee, we believe that changing your daily routine is the best way to change the world.

Buy coffee from roasters that have a direct relationship with the farmers. By doing so, you can help ensure that coffee growers get fair prices for their beans and better working conditions on their farms.

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and family—or anyone else you think might be interested in the future of coffee, the well-being of farmers, and our planet.

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