Kishe Coffee Redesigns Packaging & Website to Reflect Artisan Approach
Kishe Coffee, a social enterprise wholly-owned by members of a Fairtrade organic certified cooperative in Guatemala, has launched a new website and packaging that has been designed to reflect their artisan approach to specialty coffee. The artwork adorning their award-winning coffees shows the coffee harvest as depicted by renowned Guatemalan painter Juan Sisay.
“We created Kishe to honour the work of our farmer members,” says Juan Francisco Gonzalez Menchu, general manager of FECCEG Cooperative in Guatemala. “Low prices on international markets continue to pummel small farmers. We want to deliver our members a better price by bringing their coffee directly to market.”
Kishe Coffee commissioned Sisay to depict the coffee harvest in full swing. The overhead perspective invites coffee drinkers to delve into the lives of coffee farmers during the harvest as they hand-pick ripe, red cherries. Sisay is known across Guatemala as the ‘Painter of Lake Atitlan.’ His style has been duplicated by many artists throughout the country.
“Our new website and packaging recognize the entrepreneurial spirit of the farmer members of the FECCEG cooperative,” says Kishe Coffee business development manager Carol Higgins. “As a brand, we strive to deliver Fairtrade, organic coffees that drive value back to our farmer owners.”
The FECCEG cooperative, based in Quetzaltenango, launched Kishe Coffee in 2015 to bring their sustainably-farmed Arabica coffees direct to consumers and improve the lives of small-scale, coffee-farming families. Kishe believes in a completely transparent value chain that delivers more value back to farmer members. All Kishe’s coffees are Bird Friendly, organic, Kosher, and Fairtrade certified by Fairtrade America.
“The farmers of FECCEG have done something incredible bringing their own high-quality coffee direct to consumers. Every bean sold directly benefits farmers, their cooperative, and their communities,” says Bryan Lew, COO at Fairtrade America, based in Washington, DC.
The cooperative’s beans are roasted and packaged by Groundworks Coffee in Los Angeles, California. Kishe currently offers three coffees, including:
• Women-Grown Coffee – This coffee, produced by a group of 34 women, features a medium lemon acidity with caramel, walnut and almond notes.
• Reserve Coffee – This select lot comes from El Vergel, a farm owned by the cooperative where field technicians apply new techniques to be rolled out with FECCEG’s members. Coffee from the farm was ranked among the 20 best coffees in the 2015 Guatemalan Cup of Excellence.
• Volcán Dark Roast – Kishe’s popular dark roast comes from farms in the highlands of San Marcos and Huehuetenango.
Additionally, for home roasters, Kishe sells green coffee beans in two- and five-pound bags. Kishe is also launching a decaf coffee in July roasted by Terra Nova Coffee. For more information on buying or distributing Kishe Coffee, visit: www.kishefoods.com.
The FAIRTRADE label, licensed by Fairtrade America, appears on more than 35,000 products sold in over 140 countries. Visit www.fairtradeamerica.org to learn more.
