With the return of Guatemala Finca el Injerto, Stumptown’s first Direct Trade relationship coffee, it seemed like a good time to share a bit about what Direct Trade is and how the producers of Finca el Injerto embody the attributes of a Direct Trade coffee producer.  It starts with the efforts of Stumptown’s green coffee buyers who scour the Earth searching for exceptional coffees, investing sometimes years into developing relationships with coffee producers before a single bean makes it to Stumptown’s roastery.  In addition to locating a marvelous coffee, they look for producers who use impeccable and sustainable growing, harvesting and processing  practices and pay their workers sustainable wages. In turn, Stumptown rewards these coffee producers generously for their efforts, at a minimum, 20% above Fair Trade prices!

Stumptown pursues these relationships with the long term in mind.  In some instances, Stumptown’s green coffee buyers may find a coffee that is a diamond in the rough. Their in-depth knowledge of the technical aspects of growing, harvesting and processing coffee helps them guide up-and-coming coffee producers to fine tune their practices to ultimately yield an outstanding coffee — and to command a premium price! This does not happen over night, but over the course of multiple visits throughout the year, year after year.

The folks at Stumptown wrote an detailed article describing how the producers of Guatemala Finca el Injerto, Bourbon Varietal, Direct Trade go to great lengths to produce an exceptional coffee. This article illuminates a passion for quality, meticulous detail and innovation. Read this article, and as you sip the fruits of their labor, raise your cup in their honor!

Click here for Guatemala Finca el Injerto PDF

If you’d like to learn more about what goes into establishing and nurturing a Direct Trade relationship between Stumptown and coffee producers around the world, please check out this page.