2021 Seeds Fund Recipient
The Juan Tama Indigenous Association’s Tierradentro project has organized farmers in the municipalities of Inzá and Páez in Cauca, Colombia. Through the project, the association finances, purchases, grades, markets, and exports coffees from over 600 households, including coffees we use in Gradient.
This Seeds grant strengthened Tierradentro “FXiw The’gnas” strategy. FXiw The’gnas or “Guardians of seeds” in the Nasa Yuwe language, works to increase, diversify, and conserve their seed bank. Their “Center for Seeds and Knowledge.” inventory includes more than 35 different species of food and medicinal seeds. The growth of the inventory enables more farmers to diversify their farms and grow nutritious foods.
Seeds Program
Counter Culture Coffee collects $0.01 from every pound of coffee sold to fund our Seeds program. Annually, $1 per pound of our winter coffee blend, Iridescent, goes to further increase our contribution. Seeds offers financial grants to producers and producer organizations we work with to implement sustainability projects they identify as beneficial. To date, we’ve allocated over $280,000 to Seeds projects.