"A good cause never tasted so rich." - Mark Pendergrast
Click here to download a PDF of the Wine Spectator article: "The Mother of Direct Trade Coffee"
In September of 2016, Mark Pendergrast penned a feature on Pachamama Coffee's unique business structure for Wine Spectator magazine. The article, available for download above, is a succinct examination of the direct trade business model, which is regarded by many as the standard for ethical sourcing in the international coffee industry. However, the piece takes a unique perspective on the subject; particularly, it discusses what sets the Sacramento-based cooperative apart from other like-minded companies. Pendergrast, a freelance journalist and author of Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed the World, reveals the downfalls of hiding behind direct trade labeling, and the specific steps taken by Pachamama Coffee Cooperative to provide agency to coffee producers through full ownership and governance of the business. As the article explains, "Given its ambition and ever-expanding purview, Pachamama is fast developing into a textbook example of farmer-owned coffee ventures."
