THE COFFEE ORIGINS TRIP
The Origin’s Trip: A Journey to Sustainable Coffee with Diofanor Ruiz
As part of our groundwork, we travel every year to a magical coffee land, the place where our coffees come from, Colombia! We call it “The Origin’s Trip,” as it is where our story, and the story of many of those who work and collaborate with us, begins.
Reuniting with Diofanor Ruiz: A True Coffee Farmer
This year was a special one as we had the opportunity to reunite with Diofanor Ruiz. He is a living testament of what a true coffee farmer represents. Diofanor’s experience, knowledge about coffee, and ancestral harvesting practices are a big hope for those who believe we can live in a world that cares for mother earth and worries for the survival of the ecosystems that occupy the beautiful and diverse territories around the world, including us humans.
Sustainability and Ethical Practices in Coffee Farming
The increasing threats to our climate and ecosystems make it very challenging for all of us who want to live in a better world and leave behind a sustainable place for future generations. Multi-nationals, Corporations, and large Companies have a big responsibility and enormous challenges ahead. The constant pursuit of profits puts enormous pressure on the whole supply chain, from the origins and producers of raw resources, to the manufacturers and distributors of final products.
Mule Coffee's Commitment to Sustainability and Ethical Practices
As a small business, we, Mule Coffee Roasters decided from day one to focus on sustainable and ethical practices. During this journey, we have been very lucky to meet the teams from Cofinet and Kogi Coffee. Through their extensive network of genuine coffee growers, we have been able to reach those who are sacrificing volume for quality, immediate margins for sustainability, and growth at all costs for ethical business.
In our most recent trip, Diofanor explained how impactful and important it has been for him to join the specialty coffee program. In the past, he was forced or tempted to focus on big volumes without considering the impact on the ecosystem, his farm, and his financial future. After only 3 years of joining the program, he has transformed his crops. He has gone back to the ancestral practices of growing coffee, letting the native trees provide shade, nutrients, and microbiological defenses to protect the coffee trees.
Diofanor uses all the organic material produced by the diverse vegetation on his farm to sustain it. Wood for cooking, fruits for his family, and leaves, twigs, and coffee pulp to produce “abono” (organic fertilizer) to nourish his coffee trees. In a nutshell, this is what sustainability means and is all about.
The Impact of Sustainability: Quality Over Volume
The end result of this transformation is quality over volume, it is employment and ethical distribution of the margins, and it is a micro system in balance and a macro system also in balance. His crops are now scoring higher and higher, and this is just the beginning. Just like Diofanor, we have met many other farmers and communities that are heavily involved in this transformation.
Supporting all of them has become a rewarding experience (and we are not talking about money). Our hope for a better world is alive and becoming stronger. You are all big contributors to this transformation when you buy a cup of Mule coffee at one of the many coffee shops or weekend markets—our advocates and ambassadors. We are all together—farmers, roasters, baristas, café owners, and consumers—making a big impact when consuming responsible products.
Thank you, Diofanor, for your dedication to sustainable coffee production and your role in the transformation of the coffee industry.
