HOW IS ENDERLY LIKE KIA?

Written By Holly Blackman

Enderly is proud to partner with the Balzac Brothers who imports Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee.

We're not like Melissa McCarthy in Kia's Super Bowl spot, running after every environmental cause, animal rights opportunity, but at Enderly, we do keep the environment in-mind because sustainability is key for the farmers' families' livelihood; we are proud to work with a company who is still committed to preserving the rainforest, the land, for the small farmers around the world and in the Tarrazu region's co-op in Costa Rica.

Our partner, the Balzac Brothers Company, are the first importers to import a full container of the Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee. I first chocked this up to an environmental sales pitch, but once I started digging, I gained an entirely new respect for the coffee they sell.

What are Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffees? Coffee with this certification means a third party audits the farmer annually, "using a rigorous standard with detailed environmental, social and economic criteria. These criteria are designed to protect biodiversity, deliver financial benefits to farmers, and foster a culture of respect for workers and local communities." (*Rainforest Alliance).

The Tarrazu region sustainable growing area in Costa Rica. Our medium-bodied, citrus noted coffee, La Pastora, hails from this region.

"Decades ago, coffee farms were virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding forest. However, in the 1970s the introduction of a new hybrid coffee plant requiring agrochemicals and full-sun exposure led many farmers to cut down their forests and abandon their traditional ways. This high-tech approach to farming has devastated lands throughout the tropics."

"On Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms, coffee grows in harmony with nature: soils are healthy, waterways are protected, trash is reduced or recycled, wildlife thrives and migratory bird habitat flourishes. In addition, hundreds of farms we work with have adopted climate-smart techniques that sequester carbon. Most importantly, farm communities learn the importance of protecting their natural resources, and they acquire the tools and resources to do so."

"Since 1995, the Rainforest Alliance has strengthened the position of coffee farmers by training them in methods that boost yields and safeguard the health of the land for future generations. All of this is part of [their] global strategy to ensure the long-term well-being of farm communities, as well as the forests and wildlife on which we all depend" (*Rainforest Alliance).Rainforest Alliance certification also promotes decent living and working conditions for workers, gender equity and access to education for children in farm communities, hence the school at the co-op in Tarrazu.

We applaud the Balzac Brothers for pioneering the importation of Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee (and on their centennial anniversary!). We are proud to bring their beans hailing from the co-op in the Tarrazu region to your cup, knowing each small farmer is paid fairly, given access to education and sustainably growing our prized beans - La Pastora. We're not jumping on environmental cause trains like Melissa because at Enderly we know who we are - we value relationships and that includes our relationship with the environment and suppliers who do the same.