Our desire for social responsibility means we firmly believe that we can be a successful, profitable company and look after people and our planet. We also believe that our customers and the Specialty Coffee Industry share our concerns about issues of sustainability across all areas of the coffee chain – from seed to cup. To achieve these goals, and help our customers achieve theirs, Baratza has implemented a number of corporate citizenship programs that support our passion for taking care of our planet and our people.

Our Planet: Reducing landfill while conserving valuable resources

Packaging: In 2005, we made the corporate decision to eliminate all Styrofoam from our packaging and have moved to all paper packaging.

Refurbs: Since 2003, we have been determined to reduce the number of our products that potentially go to the landfill. We refurbish all grinders that are returned to us and resell them directly through our website. In addition, we offer a two-fold approach to make it easy for customers to repair their grinders after the warranty has expired: first, we provide simple instructions in the troubleshooting section of our web site and, second, we provide parts not only for current grinders, but also for grinders we discontinued years ago.

Accessories: In 2011, we introduced products for weight-based grinding. We purposefully designed the Esatto as an accessory to the Encore, Virtuoso and Preciso. This allows all current owners of these products to move to weight-based grinding without having to discard their current machine and purchase a new machine. Many people have told us that this is bad business since it might reduce our sales; to us it is good business because it takes care of our customers and the planet at the same time.

People: A non-renewable resource that is just as valuable

Baratza’s corporate success is grounded in the growth of coffee beans. Without coffee growers, we would not be in business. It’s no secret that many coffee growers at origin are barely maintaining their livelihoods and supporting their families. Check out this excellent video for a closer look into the lives of some growers: aftertheharvestorg.blogspot.com

Grinders to Origin: Baratza has chosen to support International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) www.womenincoffee.org in an effort to better the lives of many women and their families. We have donated 74 refurbished grinders to the IWCA which will be given to women at origin, so that they can learn to cup the coffee they are growing, understand its preparation, and work to improve and enhance their future crops.

Coffee Kids: Over the years, Baratza has been a supporter of CoffeeKids through bids in the Coffee Geek auctions, newsletter support, and donations to support coffee growers. Read about their great work here www.coffeekids.org