The New Life Coffee Project

 

 

2015 marks New Life's first foray into the Coffee Project.  Along with several other other churches across Canada, we join the Carpenteros of Ontario and the leaders of the Diaconia Nacional in Honduras to work directly with farmers to export high quality coffee beans exclusively to Canada.  The Coffee Project started in 2010 with just a few pounds of beans and has grown to over 17,000 lbs imported annually!

 

Because Rio Olancho direct trade coffee is free of brokers and middlemen, a substantially larger portion of the proceeds is paid to the growers. In turn, the growers pay premium wages to their pickers who carefully select only the finest berries. The beans are cleaned, processed and hand-sorted in Honduras to ensure that Rio Olancho coffee is of consistent high quality and outstanding flavour.  The green coffee beans are  medium or dark roasted at Java Works Coffee Inc. in Ontario. 

 

The producers are careful to protect the environment where their crop is grown. This means that the green coffee beans are shade grown with organic fertilizer, the farmers only use natural insect control methods, and the natural habitat is protected for tropical and migratory birds and other wildlife. By adhering to these principles of fair wages and sound environmental practices, the coffee has earned the Diaconia Nacional de Honduras distinction of being ‘Certified Ethical.’  The hard work these farmers have invested into their crop has certainly resulted in superb coffee — so good that the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE), which inspects and grades the coffee before it is allowed to leave the country, commended them for their hard work and commitment to quality.