In a capitalist system like ours, one votes through their purchases. Like a lot of families, we try to support good products and companies through our buying behavior.

For instance, we encourage others to shop at Costco and to avoid Wal-Mart. We also try to support small if not local companies whenever it makes sense.

One product that makes sense is coffee.

support small businesses

I start off every morning with a fresh cup of coffee brewed at home. We buy beans in bulk and grind them as needed for drip or espresso.

For several years now we have bought our coffee beans from a small, family-owned roastery on the east coast. Instead of buying from Starbucks or Whole Foods, we use Blackbear's (rather sad) website to order fresh roasted beans which are then air-mailed to us. In return, we support a small business, get a great product and get terrific, personal service. If you call them up, you get the owners, who always sound like they have a smile on their face and appreciate our business.

support small businesses and farmers

Recently a friend told me about another small, family-owned coffee business which provides the same services as Blackbear but adds a socially-responsible twist.

Cafe Cosa recognized that globalism doesn't necessarily float all boats. Even if US corporations are raking it in, trade does not always help raise up poor people in other countries.

Coffee is like most extractive industries, such as wood or bananas. The raw materials are grown/cut/mined by poor people in far off countries. The raw materials are then moved to the USA where they are processed and sold for a LOT more money. Sure the farmer's in wherever get some money but the corporations like Dole and Starbucks get a heck of a lot more.

What Cafe Cosa wanted to do was bring more of the coffee value-chain to Costa Rica. (Read their mission statement.) Instead of just farming beans and selling them in bulk to a middleman like Starbucks, CafeCosa buys the beans locally and roasts them in country - keeping more money in Costa Rica for the community there.

I think it is great to see companies like CafeCosa provide a top-notch product with the triple-bottom line in mind. They use a website to reach customers and take orders. They roast beans right from the farms and package them in the latest plastic coffee bag technology, which lets air circulate and keeps beans fresh. They rely on the amazing global transportation system to mail a package right to your door - from Costa Rica. All that and we even got a hand-written "thank you!" with our order.

In other words, you get the same customer experience, ease of shopping and an even better product than most US company's offer. Not only that but the prices are better than big chains offer and you are doing a good thing for those anonymous coffee farmers who dont make nearly enough from their hard labor.

We started with the coffee sampler pack to find the coffee we like most and so far they have all been fantastic. I have never heard of Terrazu but I think they will be getting a lot more of my coffee-money in the future.