At the announcement ceremony for the 2024 Sustainable Food Awards in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on July 4th, Pachamama Coffee received the great honor of winning the international award in the Sustainability Pioneer category. The award celebrates trailblazers who undertake groundbreaking steps to advance sustainability in the food industry. For nearly two decades, Pachamama has set a gold standard for sustainability in coffee with its smallholder, Farmer Owned business model.
Our very own Chief Operating Officer, Ed Alagozian, traveled all the way to Amsterdam, Netherlands, to receive the award. Among many other brilliant finalists and Sustainability Pioneers, including Traditional Medicinals, Niman Ranch and Aduna Superfoods, we came out top as the Gold Winner. We dedicate this award to all smallholder farmer owners and to our Board of Directors: Merling Preza, Carlos Reynoso, Vladimir Vivanco, Rene Ixtla Herrera, Oumer Wabe, as well as to our counsel Therese Tuttle for their leadership and guidance.
Pachamama is the original and leading Farmer Owned coffee company in the US. Organized as a Global Cooperative of Farmers (GCF), Pachamama Coffee is wholly owned and democratically governed by thousands of smallholder producers in Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico and Ethiopia. Coffee farmers set their own price, control the supply chain from seed to cup, and hold every vote in the boardroom, making Pachamama the only coffee roaster in North America to be vertically integrated from the global South to the North.
A few words from our Co-Founder; Board President and General Manager of PRODECOOP, Merling Preza:
“Out of necessity, we carved our own path straight to the consumer. When we founded Pachamama Coffee in 2006, our vision was to empower smallholder farmers as profit-makers. Our mission is to shorten the supply chain by connecting responsible coffee producers with conscious consumers in the North. In doing so, we earn a profit and answer directly to the people who drink our best organic coffee.”
The recognition of Pachamama Coffee as a Sustainability Pioneer at the 2024 Sustainable Food Awards underscores the profound impact the global, Farmer Owned business model makes on the coffee industry. It highlights Pachamama's nearly two-decade-long commitment to sustainability and empowerment of smallholder farmers with its transformative approach that prioritizes ownership, economic stability and environmental stewardship. The award celebrates Pachamama’s achievements and inspires millions of smallholder producers to establish Farmer Owned companies to shorten global supply chains.
Read the full press release here: https://pachamamacoffee.com/pages/pachamama-coffee-press-release
Comment
Congratulations on winning this recognition. I am a member of the West Harlem CSA, and I have enjoyed your coffee for quite a few years. It’s a privilege to purchase it and to support small, excellent farms.