OUR STORY
IT ALL STARTED IN COSTA RICA
What began as a student internship, turned into something much bigger. In the mountains of Costa Rica, we worked side by side with local farmers, people who grew coffee with care, dedication, and often in balance with nature.
But it didn’t take long to see the harsh reality behind the beauty. Many of their coffees were unsellable, prices were shockingly low, and while these farmers wanted to grow sustainably, the economics pushed them back toward chemicals and intensive farming. At the expense of people, soil, and ecosystems.
We saw how international trade often widened inequality. How rainforests disappeared for the sake of monocultures. And how systems failed the very people and landscapes they were meant to serve.
It was there, among the coffee trees, that a simple idea took root:
“What if we could build a trade model, where people and planet held equal value?”
Not out of idealism, but because it’s the only way forward.
EVERYTHING ON THE LINE FOR OUR FIRST IMPORT
After months of talking, dreaming and sketching out ideas, we took the leap.
With every Euro we had saved, we imported our very first badge: 2,500 kilos of Costa Rican coffee. No cooperatives, no intermediaries, just one local farmer.
He believed in us, and we believed in him. In his craftsmanship, his methods, and the potential of a more honest supply chain.
It was a risk. We had no guarantees, no buyers and no safety net. Just one conviction: “If we could make it work with 2,500 kilos, we can do it with 25,000!”
And if we can make that happen, everyone would benefit. From farmer to roaster.
LEARNING THE HARD WAY
Those first years were anything but smooth.
We roasted the beans ourselves, sold them at local markets, and build a webshop. We pitched to cafés, knocked on doors, carried coffee bags through rain and sun. Green coffee, roasted coffee. We tried it all. We hosted tastings, wrote newsletters, and made cold calls. It was trail and error, and hustle: pushing against a saturated market that didn’t seem to need us.
But after three intense years, the insights became clear: “Our biggest impact is at the source.” Not in roasting, but in connecting. Not on the customer side, but within the supply chain itself.
By focussing on sourcing green coffee, we could add the most value. Both for farmers and roasters. That’s where the change begins. And that’s where we belong.
GROW WITH PURPOSE
Once the focus was clear, everything began to shift.
We partnered with our first roasters. People who shared our values around transparency, direct relationships, and real impact. Step by step, we grew together.
Our network of farmers expanded alongside us. What started in Costa Rica, soon reached Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua, and again Costa Rica, with more origins to come.
We now work with growers who farm regeneratively, protect biodiversity, and craft distinctive coffees. Thanks to these partnerships, they receive fair prices and something just as valuable: a solid future.
Every new origin is more than a place on the map. It’s a new link in a chain where people and nature matter.
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE SUPPLY CHAIN OF TOMORROW
We’re now building the next phase, together with our partners. Soon, every batch of coffee we import will be paired with real-time data, linked from origin to roastery. Processing, transport, quality, pricing, impact will all be traceable, visible, and connected.
New technologies will make the chain not just more transparent, but also smarter and more efficient. Less manual work, fewer mistakes, reduced waste.
Everyone benefits:
– Farmers get paid faster and keep more control over their product;
– Roasters gain direct insights into quality and origin;
– Nature gains from measurable sustainability and smarter choices.
And we’re just getting started. But the path is clear: a supply chain where honesty, intelligence, and sustainability are no longer exceptions, but the standard.
