As a busy college student, I have never relied on coffee to help me stay awake, alert, or energized for my day to day work. Everyone around me has an opinion about coffee. From what coffee brands taste the best, to how much milk and sugar should be allowed with coffee, to how coffee beans should be roasted, I have heard it all. The way people like to take their coffee is a reflection of who they are and what qualities look for in the beverage. However, I learned this week that coffee is more than a satisfying brewed drink, it is a source of income for many laborers who work tirelessly to cultivate coffee beans and ground coffee for commercial use. During the last rose café talk, Keith Lemnios, the founder of Sun Coffee Roasters, showed how the best products represent more than their brand, they represent a mission to make the world a better place.

Lemnios told us that he makes coffee in order to support the households and educate the children of families on the Nicaraguan farm that cultivate the Sun Coffee Roasters products. Coffee with a mission is exactly how I would describe Sun Coffee Roasters. It’s a company that believes in giving back to underprivileged communities around the world while making a high quality product. By standing behind socially responsible companies like Sun Coffee and buying their products, consumers can support important causes such as environmental protection, poverty alleviation, and education. Even though buying coffee from Sun Roasters might seem like a small step towards mitigating poverty, each pound of coffee purchased actually takes 3 months of labor from each worker. In those months, the workers get paid to cultivate the coffee and then use the money to feed their families and send their children to school. By purchasing products that impact the world positively, consumers can lend a hand towards saving our planet and its people.