Our next instalment of our Importer Focus Series is a little different. To start with, it’s written by me, Michael, as opposed to Rachel. On an even more unusual note, the next importer we will be interviewing is… Rachel!
Rachel worked with us at Steampunk for eight years, but has recently moved on to a new position at Semilla as their European Relationship Manager. What’s more exciting is that we recently bought our next Supreme coffee, a Colombian Gesha, from Rachel! So, it seemed obvious that we would interview her about Semilla, a new importer to us, and the work they do across the coffee industry.
Rachel kindly took the time to answer a few questions, which I’ve laid out below:
How has your life changed since starting work as an importer? we miss you!
Rachel said:
"I miss you too! I loved roasting coffee, so I was apprehensive about moving into such a different role. But I’ve realised I still get to do all the parts of coffee that I like most: cupping, writing and talking about coffee, and even a bit of roasting, alongside a whole range of new things that I'm really enjoying.
I’m travelling a lot more and I’m starting to build a broader understanding of the UK speciality industry. More than anything, I’m beginning to see more clearly that there are a lot of differences between supply chains and that these differences come down to power dynamics. At the same time, I'm feeling more optimistic than I have in a long while about the impact my work can have."
Semilla operates in Guatemala, Honduras, Rwanda, Colombia, Mexico and Uganda. How do you adjust your operations and expectations to different origins?
Rachel said:
"That's a great question, and one I'm still learning about.
Like everyone, coffee producers have goals they want to accomplish and barriers they need to overcome. Semilla works directly with one specific group in each origin to understand their goals and barriers.
Sometimes the support is coffee-focused—for example, helping producers set up a cupping lab so they can evaluate their own coffees and better understand their value in the market. Other times, the work isn't directly about coffee at all.
For instance, the indigenous Xinka producer group we work with in Guatemala is engaged in a decades-long court battle with a multinational mining company that occupied their land and polluted it with their operations. Supporting them in that struggle is inseparable from supporting their ability to continue producing coffee.
Another example is Uganda. Historically, there hasn't been a practical way to pay smallholders directly for their coffee. We helped implement a mobile money payment system so farmers can be paid as soon as they deliver cherry to the buying station. It's not a perfect solution, but it moves us closer to our goal of distributing both profits and risk more equitably across the supply chain."
We know that you have a unique vision as an importing company for how coffee should be traded - can you talk about Semilla's foundations and the mission you uphold?
Rachel said:
"Semilla partners with a single producer group in each origin rather than buying through exporters, which makes our model fundamentally relational. If those producers choose not to work with us, we don't have coffee to sell. That creates a very different incentive structure.
Until joining Semilla I did not fully understand how the power dynamics at origin shape how coffee is traded, and almost always put smallholders at a disadvantage. Because producers are often operating from a position of limited power, they're vulnerable to being taken advantage of in countless small ways. I’ve heard stories of producers not being paid what was agreed or being told their coffee is a lower quality than it actually is. Others are expected to pay unofficial fees to exporter representatives just to do business, or face exorbitant interest rates on loans. Sometimes exporters promise to collect coffee cherry and then don't show up, only to refuse it the following day because it's no longer fresh. In other cases, traders require producers to commit their coffee without actually contracting to buy it—so if no buyer is found, it's the producer who absorbs the loss.
And a big part of our work is to foster more autonomy and agency in the groups with whom we partner. The Guatemalan and Honduran harvests arriving now are the first ones both these producer groups have cupped and scored independently from Semilla. Because Semilla helped them set up cupping labs and develop the skills to cup their coffee, they know what it's worth before conversations about price begin. Instead of dictating terms, the goal is to collaborate with producers as equal partners."
What do you think are the pressing issues surrounding sustainability in coffee, and how can we do better as an industry and along the value chain in the long term?
Rachel said:
"I’m not qualified to answer that comprehensively.
Climate change is obviously the existential challenge facing coffee. It seems increasingly likely that we'll have significantly less coffee in the future, that growing regions will shift, and perhaps even that the kinds of coffee we drink will change.
As for what we can do, I don't have much faith that the industry as a whole will somehow coordinate an effective response to the challenges it faces. But I do think each of us can take responsibility for the consequences of our own decisions.
Whether we work in coffee or not, we're connected through the choices we make and the systems we're part of. I think it's worth taking that interconnectedness seriously and making decisions with those relationships in mind."
What's one thing the average coffee consumer should know about specialty coffee importing?
Rachel said:
"Just because a coffee is labelled specialty and is priced like specialty, doesn't necessarily mean the farmer was paid a fair price."
What's the best coffee you've ever had?
Rachel said:
"I reject the premise of the question. All coffee is good coffee 🙂"
Our new supreme coffee, a Colombian Gesha from Semilla, has just launched! You can get yourself a tin of it here...