Relationship coffee and the threat of tariffs What we love most about specialty coffee are the connections we make with each other. We call it relationship coffee. When things are good, there’s a sense of ease, going with the flow. But there are moments that challenge relationships. Right now, a lot of us are trying ... Read more
If you’ve traveled with Osito in the Colombian countryside, you’ve likely heard your hosts say something about the “security situation” being either compromised or delicate, precarious even. This is a direct translation of words used by Colombian media and government officials when referring to the armed violence, drug-trafficking, and resulting public insecurity that is an ... Read more
Modern problems community solutions Specialty coffee was a movement founded to solve two problems for two different groups of people. Coffee producers experienced the C price in a free fall––dropping by 50% almost overnight after the collapse of the International Coffee Agreement (ICA) in 1989––which left them grappling with how value would remain in their ... Read more
Everyone’s talking about it – prices on the C market have surged to levels not seen since the 1970s, driven in part by Brazil’s historic frost and its ripple effects on supply chains. For the vast majority of the industry, this presents an unfamiliar challenge, as the industry has evolved significantly in the 50 years ... Read more
The specialty coffee movement is built on the premise that quality is the culmination of the countries, microclimates, cultivars, and producers involved in its creation.
Nowhere is that simple goal more difficult than in Mexico. This is not to tease out some “grass is always greener” scenario because every country has its challenges, but what faces producers, buyers and logistics partners in Mexico is a unique mix of factors.
About fifteen years ago, I learned that India was the first place where coffee was commercially cultivated outside of present-day Yemen. As someone who had been working in the coffee industry for a few years at that point, this discovery ignited a desire within me to work with Indian coffee. During that period, the specialty ... Read more
Is there anything more upsetting than finding your eagerly awaited coffee delivery in a state of disarray? Well, yeah: finding out that your cargo claim is rejected because of an avoidable error!
Today we are proud to announce our first real step towards building our longstanding legacy in the world of specialty Colombian coffee with the commencement of the project we are referring to as “La Cueva del Oso,” or “The Bear Cave”.
