Rwanda Resilience in Every Cup: Coffee with a Climate Impact

In the early years of specialty coffee, before “sustainability” was a familiar word, a handful of roasters and importers began to ask for more of the coffee trade. What if quality wasn’t just in the cup, but in the care behind it? What if environmental responsibility and economic fairness were part of the definition of great coffee?

From Flavor to Justice: Nicaragua, 1985

Rewriting the Rules of Trade

From Observation to Action

Solidaridad Coop, Shade Grown Song Bird Coffee Farmers - Nicaragua 1996 photo by Paul Katzeff

Beyond Organics: A New Framework

In 1996, Paul presented a groundbreaking green coffee buying framework at the first Sustainability and Coffee Conference hosted by the Smithsonian. Called “Beyond Organics,” the system recognized a range of environmental and social practices: shade-grown coffee, indigenous land stewardship, cooperative participation, biodiversity protection, and more.

The idea was simple: not all progress looks the same, but every step matters.

Building a Committee with a Conscience

As more members of the SCAA began asking hard questions, Paul and a handful of allies proposed forming the first Environmental Committee. It was an uphill battle.

“There was resistance,” Paul admits. “Many in the industry believed a trade association wasn’t the place for politics or activism. But we weren’t pushing politics. We were elevating values.”

That committee—eventually renamed the Sustainability Committee—brought structure, credibility, and accountability to the growing movement. It evaluated certifications, supported origin-based initiatives, and helped small brands tell honest, impactful stories.

2000: A Defining Year

When Paul chaired the SCAA’s 12th Annual Conference in San Francisco, he centered the event around three themes: Quality, Sustainability, and Social Responsibility. It marked a turning point.

During his keynote, he challenged the industry to consider the human cost of low coffee prices. He announced a USAID grant to build cupping labs in Nicaragua, giving farmers tools to taste, evaluate, and price their own coffee for the first time.

The message was clear: coffee is about people.

What We Built Together

Since then, the specialty coffee industry has changed. Terms like fair trade, carbon-neutral, and regenerative are more common. But behind those terms are decades of work from small companies like ours.

Thanksgiving Coffee:

• Supported origin cooperatives through financial transparency
• Donated to reforestation and clean water initiatives
• Converted our delivery fleet to biofuel
• Featured farmers on our packaging before it was common practice
• Advocated for certifications with rigor, not shortcuts

Why This Story Matters

As the coffee industry continues to face global challenges such as climate change, greenwashing, and pricing instability - it helps to remember where the values came from.

We share this story to honor the path we’ve walked with our partners, our customers, and our peers. We’re still learning. We’re still evolving. And we’re still committed to using coffee as a tool for possibility.

Shop the Coffees That Carry This Legacy

Or Try the Origin Masters

B Corp Coffee Partnerships: Conscious Collaboration

Every first Saturday in July, thousands of people gather at Fort Bragg’s Noyo Harbor for the World's Largest Salmon BBQ—a celebration that’s both festive and fiercely focused on restoration. It's a paradox we embrace: honoring nature by gathering in its name.

This spirit of collective care mirrors how Thanksgiving Coffee approaches sustainable business relationships—especially through our growing network of fellow B Corps.

Grove Collaboratives First B Corp Coffee

This wasn't just another retail partnership—it represented Grove's recognition of our commitment to ethical coffee sourcing and regenerative business practices.

Grove features our coffee with the tagline: "This bag carries more than artisan coffee—it's a vessel of hope, connection, and giving thanks to the Earth." This partnership demonstrates how aligned values create natural B Corp collaborations that extend far beyond traditional business transactions.

Brewing Local Impact with North Coast Brewing Company

Raising the Bar with Bonterra Organic Estates

Building Systems Evolution

For over 50 years, Thanksgiving Coffee has operated on the principle that coffee is a medium for connection and positive change. Our B Corp partnerships have shown us how this philosophy extends beyond our coffee supply chain to encompass the entire ecosystem of conscious commerce.

When North Coast Brewing brings their craft beer to the Salmon BBQ, when Bonterra contributes their organic wines, when Grove Collaborative features our coffee as a vessel of hope—we create something none of us could achieve alone.

We're not just selling products; we're building a network of businesses that demonstrate another way forward.

The Ripple Effects of Regenerative Partnerships

The numbers tell part of our story, but the deeper narrative is about amplified impact. Every cup of Thanksgiving Coffee that reaches Grove's customers, every moment of connection at the Salmon BBQ, every dollar raised for stream restoration—these represent the ripple effects of partnerships that prioritize shared prosperity over individual gain.

Looking Ahead: A Business Practice of Care

These partnerships didn't emerge from market analysis—they grew from shared values and mutual recognition of what's possible when businesses align their success with the world's wellbeing. Grove chose us because our story resonates with their mission. North Coast Brewing and Bonterra partner with us because we share commitment to place and values.

Together, we create impact greater than the sum of our parts. We've learned that the company we keep shapes not just our success, but our contribution to a more sustainable world. In choosing B Corp partners who share our commitment to restoration and regeneration, we've proven that business can be a practice of care—for the earth, communities, and the future we're creating together.

In the verdant highlands of Jinotega, Nicaragua, a revolutionary approach to gender equity is transforming the coffee industry. Led by the visionary Fátima Ismael, SOPPEXCCA cooperative operates on a powerful belief: "Women's independence can only be achieved through economic autonomy and awareness."

"This groundbreaking initiative doesn't just produce exceptional coffee – it creates a model for sustainable economic justice." – Thanksgiving Coffee Company

What makes this partnership unique is SOPPEXCCA's pioneering recognition of women's traditionally invisible contributions to coffee production. This approach addresses a global challenge documented extensively by international organizations including the United Nations.

Fátima Ismael, SOPPEXCCA'S General Manager

Since 2013, Thanksgiving Coffee Company has committed an additional $0.10 per pound of green coffee purchased from SOPPEXCCA – specifically allocated to recognize women's unpaid work. This initiative has now generated over $40,000 supporting women's economic empowerment.

According to UN Women research:

• Unpaid care work is essential to functioning economies but often goes uncounted and unrecognized
• Women—particularly from low-income, migrant, and racialized groups—perform more than three-quarters of unpaid care and domestic work globally
• If women's unpaid work were assigned monetary value, it would exceed up to 40% of GDP in some countries

Measurable Impact in Nicaragua

The SOPPEXCCA initiative has created transformative changes for women:

• Improved relationships among women in rural communities
• Increased active participation in economic decision-making processes
• Development of creative potential within family economies
• Financial independence through personal savings accounts
• Growing cooperative membership among women

"8 March ... Day of commemoration and new commitments for a world of equality, equity and respect .. Greetings female producers, friends and companions who have been with this organization on their way that has not been easy but together we have overcome a thousand adversities and will continue to be fighting ..." Soppexcca

Woman Farmers of Soppexcca Cooperative - Jinotego, Nicaragua

Shade Grown Coffee: Critical Habitat for Migratory Songbirds

SOPPEXCCA's commitment extends beyond economic justice. Their shade-grown cultivation methods create essential winter habitats for migratory songbirds, demonstrating how sustainable agriculture directly contributes to biodiversity conservation.

"When you choose SOPPEXCCA coffee, you're supporting both women's empowerment and environmental stewardship – values at the heart of Thanksgiving Coffee Company."

Woman Farmers from the Soppexxcca Cooperative - Jinotega, Nicaragua

UN Women's research reveals that investing in care infrastructure creates three times more jobs than equivalent investment in construction, with 70-90% of these jobs benefiting women.

The SOPPEXCCA fund represents precisely this kind of strategic investment.

Read about our support for the women of Soppexcca:

"Recognizing the Value of Womens Unpaid Work".

Celebrate the Women Coffee Farmers of Soppexcca