Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1098730
STiR coffee and tea 39 INNOVATIVE ROASTING AND ADVANCED GRINDING SOLUTIONS FOR EVERY REQUIREMENT NEUHAUS NEOTEC hot air roasters and most advanced grinders – more fl avor and perfect aroma for your products. www.neuhaus-neotec.com See us at SCA in Boston at booth #1149 Equator Coffee Roasters co-founder Amber Hall, center, joins workers and volunteers during a SchoolBOX Build at the Gracias a Dios School in San Juan de Rio Coco, Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Equator Coffee Roasters built three schools in coffee regions of Nicaragua and have another one scheduled for construction in 2019. Photo courtesy Equator Coffee Roasters Shared vision While the two companies are not related, both Equators share a practice of giving back to com- munities in coffee producing areas. Equator Coffee Roasters in Ontario sets aside 10 cents of every pound of beans sold for School- BOX, a charity that builds schools in Nicaragua. A portion of the coffee sales also goes into an im- pact fund: producer groups apply for money that can be used for projects related to coffee quality and productivity. Much of these funds have been matched by third-party groups such as United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and social lender Root Capital. "We're working within a system that was built on inequity," Hoops-Ripley said. "We have to fig- ure out how to work within this system to bring more equity. It's an uphill battle." Similarly, Equator Coffees & Teas in Califor- nia sets aside money to finance micro-loans and support initiatives in producing communities. "We look for opportunities to invest in qual- ity improvement programs to give some benefit there," Stachura said. Past contributions have sup- ported local schools and women farmers who need legal help to file paperwork and acquire their land they already work in their own names. The compa- ny also sets aside money from purchases in Sumatra to support the Tiger Trust program for the protec- tion of Sumatran Tigers. The Bengal tiger has been a company icon for more than 20 years. "It's the little things that make a difference," Stachura said.