Biggby Coffee, which has over 400 stores, announced this week that half of its coffee is sourced directly from farms. It plans to make that 100% by 2028.
“The way coffee is bought and sold today perpetuates poverty and climate change all over the world, and we are unwinding that, first, for Biggby Coffee,” Co-founder Bob Fish said in a company press release. “And once we achieve our goal of 100% Farm-Direct within our system, we will move on to changing the industry.”
In line with this milestone, Biggby Coffee is also launching a Farm-Direct blend with its partner, La Fortaleza.
Through its partnerships with La Fortaleza, El Recreo and Finca Terrerito, Biggby Coffee buys nearly 1.3 million pounds of coffee directly from the farmers annually.
“The vast majority of American consumers have no idea where coffee comes from. But more importantly, they have no idea who grows it,” Biggby Co-founder Michelle Fish said. “Because they have no idea, the industry itself continues to commoditize and marginalize these people, and — for many of them — keep them trapped in the cycle of generational poverty, contributing to environmental degradation and accelerating climate change. We believe that, if consumers have a sense of who these people are, that’s enough to change their buying behavior.”
Miriam Morales, president of El Recreo, a family farm that was started five decades ago, said her partnership with Biggby Coffee has been monumental, not only for the business but for the impact it has made on the larger community. With the resources they’ve had, the team at El Recreo has put in a school for workers’ kids, a kitchen to prepare communal meals, a chapel, a store, a school for adults, on-site housing and a small clinic.
“With these resources, our staff can dream for their own lives,” said Hector Morales, president of El Recreo. “For example, this is the third year in a row that we’ve been able to give out bonuses. That is another impact of the relationship with Bob and Michelle. The ability to do things like that creates a moment of pride and fulfillment for us, and we’re only able to do these things because of the stability we feel as a result of the Farm-Direct partnership.”
This is just one of countless examples illustrating the wide-reaching impact these Farm-Direct partnerships have.
“We’re at the halfway mark, but there’s a lot more to go,” Bob said. “We were a sponsor of the Producer Roaster Forum in Central America this year, and we received over 30 points of interest. We have two Farm-Direct possibilities in Burundi and Mozambique, and we will be going to Southeast Asia in the first quarter of 2025.”
