Year 1 Subscription
Location: Antigua Valley, Guatemala
Light roast: Fruit Jam, Citrus, Honey
Coffee is in crisis.
Across the globe, humanity consumes 2.2 billion cups of coffee daily, each of which generates 15 times its weight in CO2e and consumes 14 times its volume in water - making it the 5th most climate-warming crop. Today's extractive model of coffee production maximizes yields by thinning native flora, planting coffee in tight rows, and applying chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.
By 2050, rising temperatures paired with the increasing droughts and plant disease outbreaks will shrink the amount of land suitable for growing coffee by 50 percent while threatening 60 percent of all coffee species. This shock will be felt the most by the 25 million smallholder farmers who grow and harvest 80 percent of the coffee humanity consumes.
Producers grapple with thin margins and existential crises ranging from biodiversity loss and price volatility to climate change, which make coffee farming an even more precarious endeavor. Ultimately, farmers are left with no option but to choose between the health of their land and growing enough coffee to provide for their families.
Our theory of change is simple.
1. Establish long-term partnerships with farmers to support their transition towards more sustainable practices.
2. Coordinate with in-country technicians to help our growers integrate regenerative methods that unlock ecological and economic benefits.
3. Document changes in soil organic matter, microbial biodiversity, plant health, yields & revenues, expenses, and cup quality.
4. Share our insights with the world to empower the next generation of regenerative coffee farmers and consumers.
Brew Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Wholesale
Are you interested in becoming a wholesale partner? Send us a note about your business’s caffeine needs at parker@biotacoffee.com. We are excited to partner with mission-aligned baristas, chefs, and coffee operations of all shapes and sizes.
Certifications
Is this coffee certified organic or Fair Trade? While we support the missions of both the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) and Fair Trade coffee, those certifications enforce vague practices and require steep fees for land audits.
Biota’s model is built on transparency and considerations of the unique challenges our farmers face, in addition to going above organic practices to create positive ecological outcomes.
The NOP guidelines, for example, stipulate that farmers who convert away from conventional agriculture must wait three years before being eligible for certification. In contrast, we are proud to equip growers with technical and financial support during this initial transition from extractive agriculture toward— and beyond— organic agriculture. This journey is more impactful than a seal or certification.
If you would like to follow along on our journey into uncharted territory, be sure and subscribe to our newsletter here.
Materials
Biota’s sustainable practices go beyond coffee sourcing.
We incorporate premium, sustainably sourced Avon Classic Crest® Labels on the front and back of all our bags.
Every order is packaged in eco-friendly poly bubble mailers made of 50% recycled content and 10% post-consumer waste.