Our Coffees

Our coffee farmer, José Maria De Oliveria from Minas Gerais is dedicated to the production of high-quality Brazilian coffee and importantly treats his coffee pickers with dignity and respect.

Their family run business, OUR COFFEES, has pioneered alternative and innovative processing methods that are not only sustainably viable for the environment, but are ushering in a new era for coffee that is producedthroughout Brazil.

   

Our Farms

Our farms elevations range 1000 -1250 meters above sea level and are in the only city in the entire country where the Atlantic Forest converges precisely with the Cerrado Mineiro. Combining both biomes presents an ideal combination of precipitation and acidity from de Cerrado Mineiro soil.Regional micro-climates are also an ideal circumstance that allow our coffee to consistently showcase its uniqueness and versatility as a result of the regional micro-climates.

The coffees produced on our farm are Rainforest Alliance Certified, UTZ Certified,guaranteeing sustainable practices and social and economic benefits to the region of Cerrado Mineiro.

  

Improving Lives

 #Secure Banking

In 2012 Our Coffee started a social inclusion program with their farm workers. Their goal was to create a bank account for each employee helping with economic inclusion. They chose a bank that is a cooperative and serves smaller cities. Some workers didn’t know how to read or write, but they all realised how important it was to have their money in a bank institution. Working with the bank manager, Our Coffee made a presentation, so all workers would have access to financial education, ATMs, credit and other important features offered by the bank. In addition, the bank offers Our Coffee's staff an opportunity to receive assistance, on a one to one basis, to answer questions on any help they may need with their bank accounts.

The coolest thing they noticed is that whoever had access to bank accounts, used the accounts actively and consistently increased savings security.

 

Para Ela

In the coffee industry, women make up a significant proportion of the labour force but are under-represented in leadership and decision-making roles.

As a result, they bear the brunt of increasing poverty and social disadvantage all along the global coffee supply chain, particularly in the primary production stage. To combat this inequality, we work with our coffee growers on a project called Para Ela, which translates literally to - For Herself.

During the 4 month hand selection and sorting season, to financially empower the women of Campos Altos and shine a light on the financial disparity occurring in the country, our suppliers take action and dedicate the entire hand selection and micro lot production to be harvested by women only.

During the hand selection season, the pickers earn 50% higher wages than the regional average, and employee household incomes increase by 85% during the picking season as a direct result of the Para Ela production. This gives women more control over their household income which is fundamental to their financial security.