by TJ Semanchin

I just returned from a week in the Guatemalan highlands amongst the indigenous Mayan Quiché and Mam farmers that grow our coffee. There will be another detailed newsletter piece about the exciting meetings we participated in, but I’ve come home energized by the friendship and solidarity we share with our producer partners.

It is relationships like these that make the experience of sipping on a cup of Peace Coffee so rich. To smell the floral aromas, or taste the bright fruity acidity and chocolate flavors of our Guatemalan coffee is just the beginning of the story that leads you from your cup to the farmer. If you envision the beauty and diversity of the farms and the positive impact Fair Trade has in indigenous and rural communities, then your morning ritual can connect you to a positive global reality.

Conversely, while I was chatting with members of a farmer coop from which we purchase beans, I told them about the people who buy Peace Coffee. I told them how much our customers appreciate all their hard work to produce such tasty beans. I also told the farmers that our customers care about their well being and continue to buy Peace Coffee because they know that Fair Trade is making a real impact.

In an ideal world every Peace Coffee drinker would be able to meet every one of our producer partners. I’ve been blessed to meet many of our customers and farmers and you both share the same vision for a better world. The high altitude, volcanic soils and traditional farming methods give Guatemalan coffees a unique flavor. But the relationships we share -- from farmer to roaster to consumer -- give this same coffee a deeper essence. After all, what does solidarity taste like?

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