The story of Merchants of Green Coffee is one for the history books and will be told over time by one of its surviving members.
How it began
“Merchants” was a green coffee company founded in 1994 by two brothers in Toronto, Canada. As environmentalist coffee-lovers, their mission was to transform the supply chain of coffee and disrupt the ‘business as usual’ approach that has never in its history, properly accounted for farmers and the environment. By sharing their discovery of truly fresh coffee and riding the wave of enlightened consumer market forces, they felt they could change the world for the better.
Thirty years of developing a model for sustainable coffee production ensured—a lifetime’s work. The brothers explored every link in the coffee supply chain, garnering support for their mission by providing transparent coffee education to anyone who cared to listen, and selling nothing but the best and most ethical coffees possible. Not one single coffee bean entered their supply chain without traceability to source,—nor without meeting their stringent ethical values.
After three decades of tireless pursuit for meaningful actions that match words, one of the brothers was selected by Mother Nature’s wheel of chance, to join her once again, and Merchants of Green Coffee was forced to close its doors forever.
“Coffee Derek” passed away on June 22, 2024—Yet his legacy lives on.
In Loving Memory
Although Merchants of Green Coffee was permanently closed, this website is being maintained by She Grows Coffee for informational and historical purposes, and in loving memory “Coffee Derek”.