Humboldt Bay Coffee x Mountain Harvest

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The genesis of a direct relationship

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The partnership between Mountain Harvest and Humboldt Bay Coffee blossomed through a series of intentional interactions, moving beyond traditional importer relationships. It began with an introduction from David Palazuelos, Sales Manager at Algrano, who connected Luci with Mountain Harvest's Kenneth Barigye and Nico Herr. Despite initial skepticism from past negative experiences with importers, Luci was convinced by David's emphasis on producers with shared values.

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This led to an initial 1:1 presentation on Mountain Harvest's work and impact, which solidified the foundation. Over two years, the relationship deepened through mutual visits: Humboldt Bay visiting Mountain Harvest in Uganda (including attending their impactful farmer meeting) and Mountain Harvest visiting Luci in Los Angeles. These interactions fostered profound understanding and trust.

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The transformative shift to direct trade

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Luci Ramirez's journey is particularly inspirational as Humboldt Bay Coffee did not operate as a direct trade roastery until this pivotal connection. Luci's "aha" moment came through these direct conversations and the Uganda visit, revealing the tangible benefits of bypassing traditional intermediaries.

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This transition brought significant changes to Humboldt Bay's business practices:

• ‍Sourcing philosophy: A shift from solely focusing on cup scores to valuing direct relationships and shared values with producers.‍
• Product development: Mountain Harvest began processing unique grades and qualities specifically for Humboldt Bay, a direct result of these deep interactions and understanding of Luci's needs.‍
• Labelling & communication: Luci now actively highlights women producers on her packaging and uses the rich information from Mountain Harvest's transparent communication to educate her end consumers about the coffee's origin and impact.‍
• Advocacy: Luci feels a heightened responsibility to speak for women in coffee and for farmers, drawing from her direct experiences in Uganda and at Women Powered Coffee Summit.

This direct relationship has provided Humboldt Bay with a compelling, authentic narrative, allowing them to differentiate in a competitive market and attract ethically-minded consumers.

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The Algrano advantage: Seamless supply chain solutions

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The direct partnership between Mountain Harvest and Humboldt Bay Coffee is made seamless and efficient through Algrano's platform and comprehensive supply chain services. Algrano acts as the crucial bridge, enabling roasters to engage directly with producers without the complexities typically associated with international trade. As Luci Ramirez noted, Algrano solves the challenge of producers "not knowing how to put coffee on their doorstep."

Algrano's value proposition extends across critical logistical and financial aspects:

• ‍Financing: Algrano facilitates secure payment terms and offers financial flexibility, allowing roasters to manage cash flow effectively while ensuring producers receive timely payments.‍
• Exporting & importing: Algrano handles complex logistics, customs, and documentation, ensuring smooth transit from origin to destination. Our refined Supply Chain Services streamline the process.‍
• Warehousing: Reliable warehousing solutions in destination markets mean roasters have immediate access to their purchased coffee, optimising inventory.

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“I think that the biggest difference with Algrano... is like how do we problem solve together and I think that that is huge. (…) the transparency is really beautiful. I know what I'm paying you guys [Algrano]. I know what I'm paying the producer. ” Luci Ramirez | Humboldt Bay Coffee

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By leveraging Algrano's services, roasters like Humboldt Bay can focus on their core business: roasting exceptional coffee and building their brand, while benefiting from the transparency, direct relationships, and profound impact that direct sourcing with producers like Mountain Harvest offers. Algrano transforms a complex endeavour into a streamlined, value-added process, embodying its core value of connecting people to people as a transparent coffee partner.

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The shared impact: A model for the future of coffee

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The partnership between Mountain Harvest and Humboldt Bay Coffee, facilitated by Algrano, is more than just a commercial transaction; it's a testament to the power of shared values and collaborative growth.

The mutual benefits are clear:‍

• ‍For Humboldt Bay Coffee: Enhanced brand reputation, a loyal customer base drawn to their ethical stance, and a consistent supply of exceptional, ethically sourced coffee that differentiates them in the market.
• ‍For Mountain Harvest: Secure market access, fair compensation that fuels their initiatives, and the resources to continually invest in their communities, innovative processing, and quality improvements.‍
• For Ugandan farmers: Improved livelihoods, increased financial resilience, enhanced food security, and a clear pathway to a sustainable and thriving future in coffee farming.

This collaboration is actively "changing the narrative" of Ugandan coffee, proving that with the right partners and a commitment to transparency and impact, the coffee industry can build a more equitable and sustainable future for all its stakeholders. It stands as a powerful model for how direct trade, facilitated by platforms like Algrano, can create a virtuous cycle of quality, value, and shared prosperity from Ugandan peaks to Californian roasts.