Bold taste. Strong impact.
With these simple outcomes, B. Barefoot Coffee is creating enterprise opportunities for the rural poor.
While still in a prototype phase, coffee production and sales are underway. Coffee grown in Andhra Pradesh and roasted by our own solar roaster is now a sellable product. It’s a high quality, organic, fair trade medium and dark roast coffee under the B. Barefoot label.
Our 300gm consumer bags are on the shelves of our shop where we are finalizing wholesale prices and packaging.
The coffee program flows from the heart of Lawrence Miglialo, Barefoot College Communications Director. Lawrence first began to source coffee and test its viability as a legitimate economic opportunity for the rural poor while traveling in Guatemala. After returning to Barefoot College in India, he began networking with coffee growers in Andhra Pradesh. The program has grown rapidly. Many women farmers are now enrolled.
B.Barefoot Coffee seeks to address the needs of rural and tribal communities for consistent yield and fair price for their produce. Our involvement not only meets the needs of its beneficiaries but also helps address environmental issues like soil erosion and social issues like distress migration.
Hinged on permaculture and soil regeneration principles, we support women coffee farmers and those with marginal landholdings in Andhra Pradesh (India), with technical know-how for farming high quality coffee beans and assured procurement of their produce at fair prices. Strong impact? Check.
But what about roasting? The coffee can not be a final product until it is roasted and that is a process which, in India, uses very expensive petroleum based machines. That’s when Lawrence paid a visit to Barefoot’s R&D dept to ask SBI Youth for India Fellow, Allen Nelson “Is there a way we could roast the beans using renewable solar energy?”
After many sketches, prototyping, iterations, with the help of Barefoot’s Rural Engineering team, Allen presented B.Barefoot’s first official solar roasted coffee. A first of its kind, holistic and sustainable from seed to cup.
We ensured the sought-after bold taste, by conducting blind tastings. Some were even tested beside industry leaders like Starbucks. B.Barefoot’s Eastern Ghats Coffee was selected as the preferred cup. We have been on the shelf for less than one month and even before finalizing our wholesale packaging, we have guaranteed one recurring monthly wholesale order.
A consumer of B. Barefoot Coffee:
- Joins a grassroots movement that celebrates innate skills, knowledge and wisdom of rural trails.
- Embraces an individuality that is rooted in inclusive growth and justice for all.
- Gives wings to aspirations of its makers.
- Is rooted in hope for creating a society that believes in inclusive growth and success.
- Experiences a surreal palette entrenched in the region of its origin.
The Solar Coffee Roaster is now automated, the motor is powered using solar technology and has been installed on the roof of B.Barefoot’s Production hub.
For more information about this project, please reach out to lawrence@barefootcollege.org
