Puerto Rico Ultra-Premium
Roast Level: Medium-Dark Roast
Origin: Cordillera Central, Puerto Rico
Variety: 100% Arabica (Caturra-Bourbon and
Typica)
Elevation: 750-1000 meters above sea level
Processing Method: Washed Process
Flavor Profile:
Caramel, Milk Chocolate, Light Citrus
accent
Certifications: Direct Trade
This Year’s Harvest
The newest lot of washed process from Puerto Rico’s central mountain range is a charmingly expressive and balanced coffee. A wonderful expression of muted acidity and nuanced bittersweetness, this coffee possesses a round and creamy body and displays notes of caramel and milk chocolate. Clean and exceptionally drinkable, this coffee works well across all brewing methods.
About The Farmers
Our coffee is sourced directly from numerous small, family-owned Puerto Rican farms who care about producing a quality product that they can be proud of, and one that you will enjoy. By doing so, we help contribute to the economic stability of rural communities on the island by providing a reliable source of income for these small-scale farmers. This economic empowerment ensures a larger portion of the coffee price reaches the producers and laborers, improving their financial situation and allowing them to invest in their farms and communities. Additionally, women play a significant role in Puerto Rico’s coffee-producing communities, so by supporting these communities we empower women and directly benefit female farmers.
Supporting these local coffee farmers helps sustain and develop rural communities in Puerto Rico, prevents migration to urban areas (or, in many cases, migration to the mainland US), and preserves cultural heritage and traditions.
Special Note on Challenges Faced by Puerto Rico Coffee Farmers
The Puerto Rican coffee industry has faced significant challenges, including hurricanes, market volatility, and labor issues, all of which have had detrimental impacts on the livelihoods of local coffee farmers. Additionally, many farmers have been struggling under the reality that over recent decades, one large company, Puerto Rico Coffee Roasters LLC (a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Puerto Rico Bottlers) has managed to wrest control of more than 75 percent of the commonwealth's coffee market (Yes, you read that right, one company controls over 75% of the entire Puerto Rican coffee market!).
To put the issue into perspective, the National Family Farms Coalition (NFFC) website provides some insight into how control of a large percentage of the market by one corporation negatively impacts local farmers, stating:
“…Consolidation has reduced competition in farm markets and lowered prices paid to farmers, ranchers, and fishers. Farmers used to have multiple buyers to market their goods, allowing them to negotiate the best possible price. In many regions today, farmers have only one or two buyers, making it impossible to negotiate and forcing them to accept whatever the buyer offers.
Making matters worse, seed, chemical, machinery, and other farm input companies have also consolidated. Farmers used to be able to shop around for the best price for the supplies they need to farm, but now there is often just one seller, which might be an hour’s drive away.
Squeezed on both sides by the dictates of massive corporations, farmers today have increasingly little control over their own businesses…”
Finally, to make matters worse, the company dominating Puerto Rico’s coffee market has had some historical issues with following labor law. Investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that the company failed to pay employees at least the required federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. In doing so, they violated the Fair Labor Standards Act. The company also misclassified bag fillers as independent contractors, and delivery drivers were misclassified as outside salesmen. Employees misclassified as independent contractors are often denied access to critical benefits and protections, such as overtime, minimum wage, family and medical leave and unemployment insurance. Misclassification hurts the law-abiding farmers that pay workers properly, placing these honest farmers at a competitive disadvantage to those who violate the law and avoid their legal financial responsibilities.
We only buy Puerto Rico coffee produced by small, independent farmers, but given current market conditions, they may also be forced to do business with the previously mentioned company that controls most of the market. And, while we truly hope that the dominant company has cleaned up its act as they agreed to do in a settlement with the U.S. Government, we choose not to place the names of the specific Puerto Rican farmers, farms, or cooperatives that we work with on our website (like we regularly do with beans from other origins). This is to ensure that our suppliers do not experience any sort of retaliation. We value transparency, and we hope that you understand the need for this decision.