Our Direct Trade Program

Exceptional coffee depends upon great partnerships.

As one of the first coffee roasters to establish a Direct Trade program, PT's Coffee Roasting Co. has long been committed to artisans of coffee cultivation who practice their craft with skill, passion, and dedication to sustainable practices. We offer our support to these farmers in order to provide our customers with only the highest-quality coffee. Simultaneously, our support enables these farmers to invest in infrastructure and social programs in their communities.

We believe that there are a number of critical factors contributing to the growth of a truly exceptional coffee, and that farmers are key. Therefore we believe that those who do great work should get a great price; we do not believe in coffee subsidies.

Working with producers to deliver the highest-quality coffee to our customers requires us to listen and to give feedback regarding its production.

We believe that a coffee farmer who grows an award-winning coffee should be given all the credit. Recognition develops dedication to craftsmanship, skill in production, and passion for harvest quality.

We know that great coffee can be produced through sustainable methods. We only work with farmers who consider the economic, social, and environmental conditions of their farms and their communities. Sustainable does not have to mean organic, but it certainly can.

We seek to deliver the highest possible return to farmers. We require our importers, exporters, cooperatives, and farmers to agree upon the financial distribution prior to harvest and to act transparently in distribution, allowing us to monitor the committed delivery price to the farmers.

We believe that our goals are more effectively achieved when the number of individuals or organizations between the coffee farmer and PT's Coffee Roasting Co. are minimized to allow for better communication. Through our Direct Trade program we can achieve excellent quality coffee while promoting a sustainable coffee crop.

 PT's Direct Trade Coffee Criteria

• Coffee quality must be exceptional. All decisions flow from the quality of coffee in the cup.
• The verifiable price paid to the farmer or local co-op—not the exporter—must exceed the C-Market price and/or Fair Trade price by a minimum of 25% for any coffee scoring above 88 on the cupping table.
• The farmer must be committed to sustainable-quality coffee, healthy environmental practices, and responsible community practices.
• PT's representatives must visit the farm or cooperative at least once per harvest season. We may visit two or three times per year: pre-harvest to craft strategy, during the harvest to monitor quality, and post-harvest to review and celebrate successes.
• All Direct Trade participants must be open to transparent disclosure of financial deliveries back to the individual farmers.

This statement was developed in cooperation with other independent coffee roasters from the United States.