Why Direct Trade Really Matters

CHICAGO - Sept. 15, 2016 - PRLog -- It is a hot day in the highlands of Ethiopia. Abiy, a coffee farmer and father of 2 has just finished his day's work in his coffee field in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Exhausted, he reflects on the days when his work didn't yield much. "Years ago, I worked with brokers and wholesalers to sell my coffee. Often, I was offered a price that made it very difficult to survive". Abiy speaks of the days before he began selling his Arabica coffee directly to coffee roasters, cutting out the middlemen who often short changed him. Considering that the road to fruiting is a 5 year journey for the coffee plant, getting a good return on coffee is important.

Direct trade is a form of trade in which coffee farmers make connections directly with roasters from around the world. Often, these roasters will personally visit the farms, to ensure quality of the product they are purchasing. Because the cost of middlemen is cut out, 100% of the agreed upon price paid by the roasters goes directly to the farms. This builds communities within the often economically depressed regions where the world's finest coffees are grown. "To me, Arabica coffee is not just a bean. It is a vehicle for peace of mind within my home, and an education for my daughter", said Abiy, speaking of his young daughter Ayana.

One such roaster that has direct traded with Ethiopian farmers like Abiy is Black Mamba Coffee (https://www.blackmambacoffee.com/). Besides the superior quality attained through direct trade, Black Mamba Coffee (https://www.blackmambacoffee.com/) says that it prides itself on knowing that it is helping build communities by paying fair price to the farmers they work with. So when you sip your morning cup of direct trade coffee, you are changing lives, one sip at a time. This, is why direct trade matters.