Direct Trade Coffee article in the NY Times

Interesting story in the NY Times this week about Intelligentsia Coffee's Direct Trade business model. Times reporter Peter Meehan writes on how the "big three" micro-roasters in the USA - Intelligentsia, Stumptown and Counter Culture - travel the world developing and fostering relationships with coffee farmers. The hope in developing this "relationship coffee" is that we can have great coffees from micro terroirs just like in the wine trade and develop sustainable practices so that we can continue to have great coffees.

Quality in the cup is a lot easier to define than sustainability, then you start getting into Fair Trade, Rainforest, Shade-Grown and organic and all that which might be better left for another day over a good cup. Here is a link to Ethical Coffee where they give a quick overview of some of these programs. You can also go to the Direct Trade page at Intelli where they have bullet-pointed and codified the Direct Trade model. If you are more visual and have 9 min. go on and jump over to You Tube where there is a video by Geoff Watts about the Direct Trade Flor Azul Project in Nicaragua.

Thanks to IrishGirl at the Food & Wine Forum for the heads up and link to the Times story.

Comments

[Lola]

Thanks for letting me sneak a peak and sample your reverse macchiato. The place rock! I can't wait to curl up with a good book and sip esspresso in that upstairs lounge

[Sam]

Finally just what the neighborhood needs a traditional coffeehouse, with baristas that know what they are doing and not just pushing a button. I wish more people knew the difference between direct trade and fair trade. You got yourself a regular!

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I cant agree with you more Sam!finally we enjoy a really tastey coffee.my friend booked a flight from LA via last minute travel and taht's the first place he will visit!

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Looks GREAT! You did a great work there. I’m not so sure if I'll have the patience :P

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I heard some of it just last week, other companies looks like they are having a collaboration.