Co-op Partners Proudly Presents: Pachamama Coffee

Our newest vendor partner is opening a whole new category for us- bulk coffee!

Founded in 2003 by a cooperative of Peruvian coffee growers envisioning grower empowerment, Pachamama Coffee is the first farmer-owned coffee cooperative in the United States. Pachamama was founded by five grower cooperatives in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Peru and remains 100% farmer owned. Made up of thousands of family farmers following organic, often Regenerative Organic growing practices, Pachamama follows a business model that ensures growers that their contribution and input toward the company’s mission and goals equally reflects distribution of power and wealth. Growers pool their resources and democratically govern a global business.

Grower members follow the cooperative business model, electing a representative to the Board of Directors who gets one vote for each cooperative that’s part owner. Setting their own prices, all business profits cycle directly back into the cooperatives and their local communities- empowering coffee growers to go from price takers to price setters.

Inca Mountain coffee is a blend of beans sourced from Nicaragua, Ethiopia, and Peru.

Through ownership and governance, growers build equity and sustainability into the supply chain, building skills alongside financial independence. Carlos Reynoso is the Vice President of Pachamama and General Manager of Manos Campesinas farmer coop in southwestern Guatemala. As he puts it, “The difference is that we own the entire process from production to consumers, from seed to cup. We... bring more benefits to the producers and have proven that’s possible.”

Based on a fundamental understanding of reciprocity with nature, their namesake is the “Earth Mother” of Incan mythology. Pachamama watches over and provides for those living harmoniously with the natural seasons and cycles of the Earth.

Every cooperative Pachamama farmer is committed to small-scale, organic and regenerative growing practices. All coffee is shade grown, working with the native canopy to cultivate coffee plants symbiotically alongside many other plants, and encouraging habitats for pollinators and other wildlife- rather than deforesting land to plant- typical with industrial farming. Shade growing also requires significantly less water than conventional growing.

Organic farming actively sequesters carbon from the atmosphere- the leading contributor to climate change. Growing regeneratively goes beyond organic, taking further steps to coalesce with the natural environment to preserve biodiversity and draw carbon back into the soil. A solid economic foundation at all five cooperatives builds a resilient, self-sustaining supply chain. Consistently nurturing the health of the soil is foundational for healthy ecosystems, and thus healthy communities.

We offer 12 varieties of Pachamama’s fresh roasted beans- held in commercially compostable bags- each a flavorful poem to its Earth Mother.