At Sixteen Grams, we like to think of ourselves as a family. A family of coffee lovers, creators, and everyone else in the middle. Clichéd, but we swear (on coffee) it’s the truth. Every time someone new joins our caffeinated entourage, we feel blessed to be able to grow. Not just in numbers, but also in the impact we make and the people we reach. Our whole (extended) family has a story to tell, and we’re huge suckers for a good story. So here’s one about the newest SGC member – Black Baza Coffee.
Black Baza Coffee stemmed from the idea of wanting a production and market system that values producers and nature, equally. It came as a need from the coffee growers themselves, who wanted to give rise to a meaningful coffee movement in India, that encouraged local production and participation. We talked about the #VocalForLocal talk; they walked the walk.
And like we always say, nothing great comes easy. It took Black Baza four years of research to understand that Indian coffee markets function in a manner that undermines the well-being of farmers and forests. And this they weren’t okay with (neither are we!). They found that on paper, most contemporary sustainability mechanisms showed ways to tackle social and environmental inequalities, but in reality, don’t make much of a difference. This imbalance and inefficiency is what pushed the creation of Black Baza Coffee.
They work in two stages – first, they co-imagine a sustainable future with coffee-growing communities, and then they connect producers to consumers through stories (told you stories were important). This makes Black Baza Coffee not just a trading organization, but an enabling one.
This is how families and communities are built – through mutual growth, trust, and understanding. We love the work Black Baza Coffee has been doing and are honored to have them on board. To support their endeavor you can order Black Baza Coffee on our website!
Stay safe and mindful fam.
