Building New Hope’s Coffee Project:
Putting Partnership at the Heart of Trade

Building New Hope, in addition to its work in Nicaragua and El Salvador, is also active in the U.S. for our Central American partners.

When the price of coffee dropped drastically on the world market in the late 1990’s and many farmers were facing foreclosure on their land, destitution and starvation, Building New Hope stepped in.

In partnership with La Prima Espresso Company, a premier Pittsburgh, PA, coffee roaster, Building New Hope has sold more than 90,000 pounds of organic, shade grown, gourmet coffee since 2001.  Paying the farmers more than the fair trade price, we have assisted El Porvenir (“The Future”), a worked-owned and operated farming cooperative of 48 families in Nicaragua to keep their land and reinvest in their community.

The coffee is certified organically grown by the OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association). It is also environmentally sustainable as the plants grow under a canopy of wooded trees, reducing soil erosion and maintaining the biologically diverse habitat for plants, migratory birds and other wildlife. The coffee is hand picked, washed, patio sun-dried, and then carefully selected for market.

“Building New Hope‘s Café de Nicaragua is a crisp, delicious, dark coffee that offers four things that most coffees don’t.  It is organic, fairly traded, shade grown, and non-profit.  In other words, this is truly sustainable coffee.   It is no surprise to me that this coffee is consistently one of our best sellers at Whole Foods Market Pittsburgh.   I am proud to offer such a product to my customers.”    --Michael H. Coffee & Tea Specialist, Whole Foods, Pittsburgh, PA

The beans are roasted to a light French roast, shortly before we send them to you, so you always receive fresh coffee.  Our Nicaraguan is roasted to a light French roast, yielding a medium body, crisp, full flavor cup of coffee. We also offer decaffeinated organic, fair trade coffee, using a chemical-free water process, from cooperatives throughout Latin America

Our coffee is available in retail stores, served in independent coffee shops and bakeries, and sold through churches, schools and service organizations as a fundraiser for their own projects.

In addition to immediate assistance to the farmers, all profits from coffee sales support other health, education and community organizing projects in Nicaragua and El Salvador.