Okay… you caught us 😄
We’re launching Saskatchewan-grown coffee.
Prairie coffee trees. Riverbank micro-lots. A harvest festival in Moose Jaw.
…Yep. April Fools.
Coffee doesn’t grow in Saskatchewan. But this joke lands because it points at something real:
If we want coffee for years to come, we need the people who grow it to be able to keep growing it.
And right now, that’s not guaranteed.
The part we don’t want to be a joke
Across the coffee world, many farmers are stuck in a brutal math problem: what they get paid can be less than what it costs to produce, harvest, and process the coffee.
Add climate pressure heat, rainfall changes, pests and the work gets harder while risk climbs. Research groups focused on coffee resilience have warned that without adaptation, land suitable for Arabica coffee could shrink significantly by mid-century (often cited around 50% by 2050).
So no, we’re not planting coffee trees next to the wheat fields.
But we are choosing what kind of coffee future we want to support.
What “supporting farmers” can look like (simple, practical)
We don’t have to make this complicated. Small choices compound.
1) Pay above cost of production (and be honest about it)
When a coffee is priced so low that it can’t cover labor, inputs, and farm upkeep, quality and livelihoods both suffer. Programs and organizations across the sector have repeatedly highlighted how damaging “too-low farmgate prices” are to farmers and their communities.
At Road Coffee, our BeyondFair approach is built to move away from that trap—paying above cost of production and supporting practical producer independence (including micro-loans), without performative marketing.
2) Buy relationally, not randomly
Farms can’t plan improvements or even stay afloat without predictability. Consistent buying relationships help producers invest in quality, labor, and climate resilience.
3) Fund resilience, not just “feel-good”
Climate resilience looks like shade systems, replanting, training, and infrastructure things that require cash flow and patience. World Coffee Research and partners are actively building tools and recommendations for climate-smart coffee investments.
What you can do this week (3 options)
Pick one. That’s enough.
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Buy coffee that funds farmers staying in coffee. Look for brands that talk clearly about pricing, relationships, and long-term support (not vague buzzwords).
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Ask one better question:
“How do you ensure farmers earn above cost of production?” -
Make your buying predictable:
If you drink coffee weekly, subscriptions can help create steadier demand and planning (for roasters and, downstream, for producers). Not a perfect solution but more predictable than random restocks.
A tiny coffee ritual to remember the “why”
Tomorrow morning, brew one calm cup and take ten seconds before the first sip:
“Someone grew this. Someone harvested this. Someone processed this.”
Gratitude isn’t the same as justice but it can be the beginning of better choices.
If you want coffee to still be a part of our lives in the years ahead, support the people behind it.
Read more producer stories / learn about BeyondFair / set a subscription to keep your buying consistent.