Coffee production is complex. There are many variables at play and in order to produce exceptional coffee these variables must be properly managed. This is the work of coffee professionals and particularly the producers working at the farm and processing levels. Partnering with the right importer is critical to our success as roasters because we are only as good as the coffees that we can get our hands on.  We cannot manufacture flavors that are not there to begin with; we can however roast the coffee in a way that allows the intrinsic qualities of a coffee to shine. 

Our approach to buying coffee is simple: We are looking for high quality coffees from companies that pay premiums to producers for their green coffee.  One such business is our green coffee supplier: Coffee Shrub, the wholesale subsidiary of Sweet Marias.

We decided to buy from Coffee Shrub for many reasons, chief among them being their approach to sourcing coffee. Coffee Shrub’s direct purchase model, which they call “Farm Gate”, verifies the pricing being paid to the producers. In addition to supporting and offering fair trade coffees, their direct purchasing model is oriented towards cup quality, and uses their direct relationships to assure fairness to the farmer. 

As a farmer you don’t get quality coffees year after year by taking shortcuts.  This is something that Coffee Shrub understands and works to educate producers and consumers on.  Encouraging producers to focus on quality can create economic stability by means of higher premiums and repeat business.  This stability is what allows people to invest in themselves and the future in the form of more efficient equipment and sustainable farming practices. This creates a positive feedback loop of economic stability, coffee quality and environmental sustainability. With this in mind we are more than happy to pay a little more for our coffees.

Coffee Shrub has a fantastic article going into much more depth on this subject and can be found here: https://library.sweetmarias.com/our-approach-to-coffee-pricing/