as with everything we do at fourbarrel, sourcing the highest quality green coffee requires a relationship built on mutual respect and a passion for quality. this relationship, perhaps more than any other, is the backbone of our tireless pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee.
phrases like “social sustainability” or “direct-trade” represent very real buying practices that we spend the lion’s share of our time making a reality. these practices mean something different to us in every region and country—it is impossible for us to use one phrase to describe how and why we buy the coffees that we do. we’d rather spend our time and resources working toward something that is tangible, namely, our constantly evolving commitment to our producers and to quality. we’d rather tell the stories behind our coffees and let those stories speak for themselves.
just as there is no quick and simple way to explain buying practices across all countries, there is no easy way to simplify the components that affect quality. each country and region has its own climate, varied soil composition, varietals and processing methods. most of our time in each country is spent learning about why farmers do what they do. the pursuit of quality becomes a conversation, one that begins on the dirt roads of the farm and continues until the coffee sits under its own crust on the cupping table.
sourcing coffee the way we do is time consuming, expensive and plain hard work. but it is the only way we can vouch for the quality of our coffees, firsthand. and the only way we can uphold our end of our most important relationships—the ones with our farmers.
