Behind the Beans: Great Coffee Starts with Great Farmers
At Mariposa Coffee, exceptional coffee begins long before it reaches our roaster. It starts with dedicated farmers who carefully cultivate coffee in some of the world’s most renowned growing regions.
One of the coffees we proudly source comes from the Gayo Highlands of Aceh, Sumatra. Sumatra is a staple coffee used in all of our dark roasts and a few medium roast blends. Grown at elevations of 3,300–5,500 feet in rich volcanic soil, this coffee offers the bold character Sumatra is famous for. Expect notes of cedar, dark chocolate, and brown sugar with a rich body and smooth finish.
Our Sumatra coffee comes from Koperasi Buana Mandiri (KBM), a cooperative of more than 1,300 smallholder farmers spread across 20 villages. Most families farm just a few acres, caring for their coffee trees by hand and passing down generations of agricultural knowledge.
Quality is a top priority for both KBM and Mariposa Coffee. This coffee earns an 84+ cupping score, well above the specialty coffee standard of 80 points. In fact, every coffee we roast meets specialty-grade standards because we believe our customers deserve the very best.
Just as important as quality, is ensuring farmers are fairly compensated for their work. KBM is both organic and Fair Trade certified, but we go a step further by paying prices above Fair-Trade minimums. Those additional dollars go directly back to the cooperative, helping fund farm improvements, agronomy training, equipment, and long-term sustainability projects that benefit farming families.
When you enjoy a cup of Mariposa Coffee, you’re not just tasting a carefully selected specialty coffee. You’re supporting a network of hardworking farmers who are committed to producing exceptional coffee while building stronger communities for future generations.
That’s coffee worth feeling good about.
