In a world brimming with challenges, Mrs. Kim Thompson stands out as an inspiring leader who has turned every obstacle into a stepping stone toward success. Her journey, which began with moving to Dubai with her family and led to the founding of RAW Coffee Company, showcases the spirit of entrepreneurship and perseverance that defines her. Despite facing significant hurdles early on, including wrong decisions, technical difficulties, and legal issues, she never backed down. Instead, she transformed those experiences into opportunities for growth and learning, driven by an unwavering determination.

Mrs. Kim is not just a leader who built a successful business; she is also committed to making a positive impact on the communities around her. By establishing direct relationships with farmers in Ethiopia and Yemen, she ensured that RAW Coffee Company became more than just a coffee brand—it became a model of sustainability and respect for the cultures and traditions of the farming communities she works with. Her story is one of pioneering change in the coffee industry, setting new standards for quality grounded in the values she holds dear.

In this deep and insightful interview, we explore the details of her journey, the challenges she overcame, and how she succeeded in creating a brand that is now one of the most recognized in the specialty coffee industry in the Middle East. Mrs. Kim’s journey is a tale of courage, turning dreams into reality, and a relentless will that knows no bounds.

Personal Journey

Q: What initially brought you to Dubai, and how did you find your way into the coffee industry here?

Kim Thompson: I moved to Dubai in 2007 with my family. My ex-husband had taken a job flying for Emirates Airlines. My family has always been passionate about sailing, and we became members of the Jebel Ali Sailing Club. Eventually, I took over and operated the café there at JASC, which was a bustling expatriate sailing club. When the sailing club was demolished to make way for the Dubai Marina, the café was closed. That’s when the idea of starting a coffee business came to me. While running the café, I struggled to find high-quality coffee—everything available was stale and imported. I noticed a gap in the market, and that’s where my journey into the coffee industry began.

Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting RAW Coffee Company, and how did you overcome them?

Kim Thompson: In the early years, I made countless mistakes. I often felt like I was going in circles. For instance, I chose the wrong warehouse for our first location. I also purchased my first roaster from a well-known German company, Probat, which was embroiled in an internal legal battle at the time. My roaster, which had been manufactured and paid for, was held along with their other assets until the dispute was resolved. I had to travel to Germany, hire a lawyer, and get the roaster released. Once it arrived, we wired it incorrectly—cross polarity caused the drum to work in reverse, filling the warehouse with smoke and burning the first batch of coffee.

Another challenging situation arose when the consultant I had hired, who was staying with us at my family home, was poached by another roasting company that was just starting up in Dubai. He left for a bit more money before teaching me anything about roasting. I also spent three months trying to get the first environmental emissions approval, and I’m sure the men at the DM counter just wanted to get rid of me. One day, I broke down in tears, and miraculously, they stamped and approved the report. There were many more hurdles, but each taught me valuable lessons.

Q: How has your personal experience and background influenced your approach to business and the coffee industry as a whole?

Kim Thompson: I come from a very middle-class background in New Zealand. I left home at 15 to train as a registered nurse, which was a wonderful career that allowed me to travel and be independent. I’ve always wanted to see the world, experience different cultures, try new foods, and learn by exploring rather than just reading.

The highlight of my journey with RAW has been the people I’ve had the privilege to work with, especially the incredible producers at origin. I love being the “connector” between both ends of the supply chain, weaving the stories that help people appreciate our coffee and the process it undergoes to reach the final cup.

I often tell people that I’m an unhealthy mix of brave and naïve. If I had known how long it would take and the numerous challenges we would face, I’m not sure I would have done it all over again. The interesting thing is that RAW has grown very slowly and organically. While that has been excruciatingly painful at times, particularly due to cash flow challenges, it has resulted in an incredibly strong foundation. We are very much in control of our direction now.

Q: What motivates you every day to continue innovating and pushing the boundaries in the coffee industry?

Kim Thompson: After nearly 18 years, I am driven by a strong desire to succeed—failure is just not an option. I’m incredibly proud of the brand that Matt and I have built, and I’m excited to see it continue to grow. Personally, my key motivation comes from the people who rely on me—the producers and farmers in all the origin countries we work with, who grow our amazing coffee and depend on us for their livelihood. I also feel a deep responsibility towards the amazing team at RAW, ensuring they can support themselves, grow professionally, and find job satisfaction. I’ve realized that my role connects these two ends of our supply chain, and I must articulate our stories well to foster respect for coffee at the consumer end.

Business Philosophy

Q: You emphasize a strong connection with coffee producers and ensuring fair trade. Can you share a specific example where this philosophy made a significant impact on a farming community?

Kim Thompson: Absolutely. One clear example is our work with the Buddhist community in the southern Shan State of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). Coffee has been grown in the country since it was introduced by British colonists in 1885. Our first visit was in March 2018, when we managed to purchase the entire harvest from a small, isolated region called the Ga Naing Yar community (a total of 14 sacks). We quickly committed to purchasing all of their next year’s 2019 crop if they could guarantee the same high quality. This allowed the community to plan how they would spend their income for the year.

We returned to film and document the harvest, capturing the process and the journey of what our involvement means to these people. We also shared images of our roastery so they could see their coffee being delivered to the end customer. We brought some of their own roasted coffee and brewing equipment so they could taste their coffee for the first time. Many in the community had never drunk their own coffee or understood the implications of the improvements they had made to harvesting and processing. Since improving their production processes and being introduced to international buyers, they now earn three times the value per kilo of green beans, instead of selling it as a cash crop at the local market.

This relationship has had a symbiotic benefit—both for the farmers and for us as roasters. We’ve seen communities collectively decide to build access roads into their isolated regions, bring power lines in, buy chickens, or build schools. The financial security to plan for their future opens so many doors, leading to a higher standard of living for them and better quality coffee for us year after year.

This village formed a coffee cooperative representing the 51 families that make up the entire community. The success of this group has had a tangible flow-on effect, with neighboring communities seeing the increased income and wanting to adopt the new farming practices. Before this, the farmers, often the women, grew their coffee near their homes and sold it as commodity-grade coffee at the local market. They would individually pick, process, and travel to markets, earning a third of what they’re achieving now.

Q: RAW Coffee Company is known for its sustainability efforts. Can you explain some of the key sustainable practices you’ve implemented and how they align with your long-term vision?

Kim Thompson: RAW started as a Dubai-based startup, but both Matt and I are originally from New Zealand, where we were raised with a deep respect for nature, clean water, fresh air, and recycling. So, from the beginning, RAW was focused on genuine sustainability.

We implemented a zero-plastic business model as soon as replacement products were available, even if we had to source them from outside the UAE. We’ve been doing this for at least 10 years. We replaced hot coffee disposable cups and lids with biodegradable options and cold coffee disposable cups and lids with cellulose. As new innovations are developed, we are early adopters. We’re now using recycled bamboo straws, and our beautiful new RAW coffee bags are made from recycled plastic milk bottles.

Water is a key ingredient in good coffee, and without correct water chemistry, we cannot consistently deliver a great coffee experience. We also sell and maintain espresso equipment, so we’ve seen first-hand how quickly poor water quality can damage or corrode valuable coffee equipment. We developed our own water treatment systems to support our B2B customers and offer complimentary still and sparkling water in our café to our B2C customers.

When we roast our coffee, there are only three waste products generated: the husk as a by-product of the coffee roasting process, the hessian coffee sacks our green coffee arrives in, and a small amount of carbon created during the roasting process. However, we do not roast our coffee to a dark level or anywhere near second crack, so the carbon is minimal. We now have a grade A emission test through the DM.

Our used coffee grounds from the espresso bar and the coffee husk from roasting are collected by a local startup that grows oyster mushrooms and produces compost. We then purchase the mushrooms to make some of our vegan dishes in the RAW café.

We’ve also removed all chemicals from the warehouse and café space, eliminating volatile oils and compounds from our cleaning products.

Q: Your company offers extensive training for staff and external baristas. What drove you to invest in education, and how do you see it shaping the future of the coffee industry?

Kim Thompson: For the first five years of RAW, we focused entirely on gaining knowledge and learning as much as we could about our industry. When we started in 2007, we didn’t have a website or social media account, and we were in isolation without access to shared knowledge on the internet or through applications. So we learned how to roast by hand, constantly cupping and evaluating the coffee, figuring out what we liked, and developing our own “style.” We also spent years experimenting with espresso equipment and learning how to consistently deliver quality espresso. We knew the importance of knowledge and realized that as a roaster and supplier, we would need to pass this knowledge on to our customers if we wanted them to consistently deliver the same quality. This understanding evolved into recognizing that divisions within our business, like servicing and training, while not generating huge revenue, are crucial to providing a total solution to our customers.

We are a registered premier SCA training center, meaning we’ve been audited and approved by the global Specialty Coffee Association. We offer a diverse range of barista training courses, starting with a home barista course for budding enthusiasts to certified courses in barista, brewing, and sensory for professionals.

Empowering and training your team is crucial to a business’s success, ensuring consistency and quality delivery. This, in turn, helps with customer loyalty and satisfaction and positions you positively against the competition.

Q: What innovations in the coffee industry are you most excited about, and how is RAW Coffee Company positioning itself to be at the forefront of these changes?

Kim Thompson: We believe that our focus on providing a total solution will continue to strengthen our position in the region. It’s not just about our beautiful coffee; it’s about our understanding of all the variables that must be taken into consideration to deliver an amazing coffee experience.

One innovation we’re particularly excited about is a new coffee brewing tool called the HOOP. It’s manufactured in Italy by a grinder company named Creado. It’s a very clever, simple design, using two pieces of recycled non-PBA plastic with a paper filter that uses radial infusion. It delivers very high-quality extraction and brews coffee consistently. We think this is a better coffee brewer than the famous V60, and literally, a child could make an excellent cup repeatedly. The HOOP won the Best New Product Award in 2023 at the SCA event in Athens.

Q: RAW Coffee Company has received numerous awards and accolades. Which of these achievements holds the most meaning for you, and why?

Kim Thompson: We’re incredibly proud to be recognized as a Dubai startup business. Our 2022 Award “Proudly Dubai” by DTCM for our contribution to advancing the F&B sector sits proudly on the front counter of RAW, beside our espresso machine. Even though both Matt and I come from New Zealand, our families are long-term UAE residents, and we feel this country is our home. We take pride in being at the forefront of the local coffee industry.

Q: Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for RAW Coffee Company in the next five to ten years? How do you plan to continue evolving while staying true to your core values?

Kim Thompson: When asked for a five-year plan, we usually shrug and admit that this is too far out for us to predict accurately. So many unexpected things happen—who would have predicted a global pandemic? But we do know the importance of maintaining our relevance, particularly in a competitive, saturated market.

We are focused on providing a total beverage solution, addressing all our customers’ needs on their beverage menu. We aim to be more than a supplier—we want to be a partner in the success of their business.

This year, we’re advertising on the radio, and we’re looking forward to reaching a new demographic. While we have a very loyal following, we know some of our customers have left the UAE over the years, so we want to make sure we reach new people who enjoy coffee.

We now have a really good automatic coffee solution, which is a first for us, allowing us to offer great coffee to offices and smaller commercial spaces. We sourced some special coffees for this project, and we’re thrilled with how they turned out—delivering convenient, consistent quality without needing a dedicated or qualified barista to make the coffee.

Leadership and Impact

Q: How would you describe your leadership style, and how do you ensure that your team remains aligned with the company’s values and goals?

Kim Thompson: I’m very much people-oriented, often relying on gut instinct, and I’m not great at handling conflict. When asked, I tell people there are two main reasons why RAW is doing so well: our strong, independent supply chain, and our amazing team. It’s very important to us that our company core values are genuine and shared throughout how we conduct ourselves and communicate as a business—with our suppliers, B2B customers, and B2C customers. I’m also fortunate to have a business partner whose strengths complement mine and who supports me in my areas of “challenge,” as I fully believe you can’t be good at everything.

I’m so proud of the people who work with us—they are customer-facing, and we often receive positive feedback praising them. We hire based on personality, not just knowledge, and believe in investing time and energy in training and empowering individuals. We now have a team of 56 people, representing 20 nationalities, speaking multiple languages. In the early days, we learned how to do the majority of the roles within the company ourselves, but now, thankfully, we have the resources to recruit key senior positions with specific skill sets.

Q: As a female leader in the coffee industry, how do you see the role of women evolving, and what initiatives are you most passionate about supporting?

Kim Thompson: I believe in equality and want to be treated as an equal, but gender doesn’t play a factor in the way we recruit or in our commercial relationships. The UAE has been a fantastic country to open a company—it’s safe, I’ve had equal access to information and opportunities, and I’ve never felt discrimination because I’m a female.

I don’t believe our industry is particularly friendly, partly due to many coffee businesses fighting for the same customers. We also have a lot of greenwashing in specialty coffee, exacerbated by some of the larger franchises and chains, using our terminology and grossly misleading marketing, which confuses customers.

As a female owner, I believe it’s important to act with credibility and integrity and to lead by example. Although one of my key roles in the company is to source, evaluate, and roast the coffee, I would never call myself a roast master. We should constantly strive to learn and never feel complacent. We follow the 1% rule—where we’re constantly striving to gain 1% increments, always looking at how to improve.

Since 2018, both Matt and I have been part of the Endeavor group, a network of high-impact entrepreneurs who dream bigger, scale faster, and pay it forward. We have an amazing advisory board with very successful business mentors, both male and female. It’s very encouraging to be among other entrepreneurs, to continue learning, and to be exposed to individuals who challenge and push you.

Our coffee industry faces real challenges, and supporting our farming partners is key to our continued growth. A very high percentage of people working in coffee at origin are women, so working towards gender equity, ensuring they have a voice, access to microfinance, schools for their children, and the opportunity to earn a sustainable livelihood are all top priorities.

Q: Beyond the coffee industry, what other community or global initiatives are you involved in, and how do they tie into your work at RAW?

Kim Thompson: I traveled to Palestine for the first time in 2018 on a Gulf for Good hike. We flew to Amman and crossed into Palestine via the Allenby Bridge. We hiked the heritage trail from Nablus to Jerusalem, staying with local families and learning about the regional issues there. Since that trip, I’ve joined Lisa Dale to found Artisans of Palestine.

Artisans of Palestine connects Palestinian artists with the market, and we tell their story. There are many comparisons to my role in coffee. We try to partner each business or artist with a mentor who can help give guidance or find solutions to their main challenges, whether that’s help with their website, tweaking their designs, sourcing materials, or helping them update their branding. We’ve visited many times and now have many wonderful products, with a number of artisans generating a good income from the products we sell here in the UAE.

In coffee, we source and supply beautiful freshly roasted coffee to the local market, but we also tell the story of the producers and attempt to educate consumers, not just about the benefits of buying local but also about ethical sourcing and the sensory attributes of buying our coffee. So there are similarities between coffee and Artisans of Palestine—we’re connecting the supplier with the end consumer or market and doing our best to add value throughout the chain.

Specialty Coffee Market in Dubai and UAE

Q: The specialty coffee market in Dubai and the UAE has seen tremendous growth in recent years. How have you witnessed this evolution, and what role do you believe RAW Coffee Company has played in shaping the market?

Kim Thompson: Since we opened RAW in 2007, there has been fabulous growth. I remember the early days when we would attend the Ripe Market in Zabeel Park and make cups of coffee from our coffee truck. That was our only marketing, and customers used to ask if the coffee was Italian—they didn’t understand quality over quantity, as we only offered a smaller 8oz cup (not a Vente size). We didn’t include syrups or any other kind of additives. There was a lot of pushback initially.

We roasted fresh what we needed for one week, so the coffee was always fresh, and we had to educate people on the importance of freshness, grinding to order, and many factors we now take for granted. But nothing we were experiencing was particularly unusual or “reinventing the wheel”—we were following global trends in the specialty coffee world. There are stages as the market matures, and the market here has well and truly caught up to the global coffee scene.

We aren’t being asked any more “what is your TDS?” which is something we went through for a number of years, as people started learning about total dissolved solids and water chemistry.

I’ve heard many companies claim they are the authority in specialty coffee or the first in the Middle East, but I can confidently state that RAW is the first coffee roastery in the MENA region to source specialty green beans, roast them, and supply them to the local market. It’s important to us to be part of the industry here, to continually drive improvement, knowledge, and quality, but it’s equally important to conduct yourself with integrity.

Q: How do you perceive the level of consumer awareness and appreciation for specialty coffee in the UAE? What steps have you taken to educate and engage consumers in this market?

Kim Thompson: We’re enjoying a greater appreciation for our industry, with a growing consumer base and a new generation of conscious consumers who spend time selecting brands and products that align with their values. It’s fantastic for us because they get what we’re trying to do, and they appreciate the care we take in selecting our coffees, our packaging, and ensuring everything aligns with our core values.

We know that our hand-brewed single-origin sales have increased, and with our bag sales, while our two main blends remain the best sellers, the percentages of premium and Rare & Experimental coffees we sell continue to grow.

Education and knowledge are key to a successful B2B operation, and it’s a constant work in progress.

Q: What are some of the unique challenges and opportunities you see in the specialty coffee market in Dubai and the wider UAE? How do you navigate these to maintain RAW’s leading position?

Kim Thompson: I don’t believe our industry is particularly friendly, partly because many coffee businesses are fighting for the same customers. We also have a lot of greenwashing in specialty coffee, exacerbated by some of the larger franchises and chains using our terminology and grossly misleading marketing, which confuses customers.

It’s not particularly exciting, but we believe consistency is completely underrated. To offer consistent quality, you have to have all the variables correctly positioned: the quality of your green coffee, your people, your water, your equipment, your technical support, your communication, and your business acumen. We’ve concentrated on all these details and not so much on what our competitors are doing.

Q: With the rise of specialty coffee shops in the region, how do you differentiate RAW Coffee Company from others? What sets your brand apart in this competitive landscape?

Kim Thompson: We’ve kept our heads down but our ears open. We’ve focused on our own trajectory and haven’t been too influenced by trends or what the rest of the market is doing. We like being in control of our supply chain, having our own direct relationships with our equipment partners and suppliers. We select these partners based on quality, service, and shared values.

We believe in constant innovation and tweaking of our brand and marketing collateral—remaining relevant and topical and investing in the future growth of the brand. Many new, younger, hipper brands have joined the market, but many of these brands are mimicking a brand from Melbourne or replicating something that already exists.

Q: Where do you see the future of specialty coffee in Dubai and the UAE heading? What trends or innovations do you believe will shape the next wave of coffee culture here?

Kim Thompson: The market here in the UAE is saturated, and while globally, coffee consumption continues to grow, the market for growers is extremely volatile. We expect to see an adjustment, with brands and companies that have more business acumen surviving, and others that are more “passion projects” facing financial challenges to continue.

Consumers are moving more towards buying and supporting local brands, many are more consciously driven, and they will differentiate between brands that are authentic and align with their values. It won’t be enough to just have a lovely interior or be part of an internationally recognized brand.

Support for Yemeni, Ethiopian, and Other Farmers

Q: You’ve established strong relationships with coffee farmers in Yemen, Ethiopia, and other regions. Can you share how these partnerships began and what impact they’ve had on both the farmers and RAW Coffee Company?

Kim Thompson: As Matt and I are the owners and investors in RAW, we have to be clever about how we use our money and how we grow our business. We believe our strength comes from our strong direct supply chain, so we’ve invested time and energy into our origin trips. These trips are also the best perk of the job, and I’ve had the luxury of exploring many origin countries. We know these relationships are key to our success, and we see the quality of the coffee we purchase improving year after year. We understand the challenges our growers face and work with them to mitigate these challenges, often financial, so we provide forward forecasting and contracts with pre-payments.

We’ve visited Yemen twice, attended a coffee “naturals” seminar, and traveled with groups of roasters and buyers around many of the coffee-growing regions. We enjoyed amazing hospitality and great food. It was one of the highlights of my life to see Yemen, experience its dramatic scenery, and witness the heritage of such an important coffee region.

We’ve traveled many times to Ethiopia, to Harrar in the north and to the southern more tropical areas of Yirgacheffe, Guji, and Sidamo. We’ve camped in tents on the actual farms, eaten Injera and raw meat, and once we even purchased a goat to make a large stew, which we shared with the village to thank them for having us.

Q: Yemeni coffee is renowned for its unique flavor profile but also faces significant challenges. How have you worked to support Yemeni farmers, and what makes Yemeni coffee special in your opinion?

Kim Thompson: Yemen has many geopolitical challenges, and sadly, we’ve seen a drastic decline in production coming out of the country. While farmers face challenges with weather and environmental issues, the actual processing of the coffee has also been difficult due to old technology and equipment. The coffee we purchase from Yemen is welcomed lovingly by our Emirati client base, who have a strong emotional connection to Yemen and its heritage. Many have grown up with a grandmother or mother roasting, grinding, and preparing the coffee in their homes—it’s synonymous with hospitality and evokes strong memories for them. We always sell out of our Yemeni coffee. The flavor notes most synonymous with Yemeni coffee are wine-like, dried fruit notes with a chocolate finish. The seaport that Yemeni coffee originally left from is called Mokha, but now many consumers believe that the coffee description “Mocca” means chocolate has been added to the drink. This wasn’t always the case. Good quality Yemeni coffee has distinguishable chocolate notes.

Q: Ethiopia is often considered the birthplace of coffee. How does RAW Coffee Company support Ethiopian coffee farmers, and how do you ensure their traditions and heritage are honored in your operations?

Kim Thompson: While Ethiopia might be genetic ground zero for Arabica coffee varietals, we also know that Yemen was the first to commercially cultivate and export coffee. Both of these countries are globally important to the coffee world. Both have strong traditions around how they drink coffee, with Ethiopia heavily influenced by its Italian history. But it would be so good to see both Ethiopia and Yemen not just rely on their cultural and historical heritage but translate that into sustainable and viable farming practices today. It’s very concerning to see both these countries refocus their farming practices on growing Eucalyptus and Ghat, in some cases removing their coffee trees. It seems short-sighted not to appreciate the damage this short-term ability to sell Eucalyptus wood will have on the soil, weather, and food security. I’m very worried about this.

Q: Fair trade and sustainability are core to your business model. Can you provide examples of specific initiatives or projects where RAW has made a tangible difference in the lives of coffee farmers in these regions?

Kim Thompson: In 2007, when I first started RAW, my three core pillars were Local, Ethical, and Fair Trade. But as I learned more about our industry, I realized that Fair Trade was broken. We moved to Direct Trade, which we’ve defined as direct, sustainable, and authentic, as we realized having personal connections and real relationships directly with the farmers and producing communities adds more value to them and us. We are currently purchasing forty unique coffees from twelve different countries, where we have strong relationships with all our growers.

A recent example of an initiative we’ve worked on involves a producer we work with in Ethiopia. They reached out to us for advice on dealing with a serious issue—entire regions were removing their coffee trees and planting Eucalyptus trees. Heleanna is a third-generation coffee producer who owns her own washing stations and coffee farms, as well as a large production facility in Addis Ababa. In December, Matt traveled to meet her, revisiting the areas and witnessing firsthand the absence of coffee. Main roads that used to be lined with hundreds of washing stations are now closed. The topsoil is eroded, the land is dry, and there’s no vegetation growing under the Eucalyptus trees. There are obvious signs of natural deforestation, and the land has been replanted with Eucalyptus, damaging the ecosystem—no bees or birds to pollinate the trees. Biodiversity has been disrupted, and the long-term effects are devastating.

We introduced Heleanna to Ms. Lee Safar, who has an internationally acclaimed podcast called MAP IT FORWARD. Heleanna was a guest on the show and has since been able to bring this issue to light to the global community. We’re hearing similar stories coming out of Brazil, Colombia, and Yemen.

Q: You’ve shown a strong commitment to supporting women farmers, particularly in poor countries. What initiatives have you undertaken to empower these women, and what success stories can you share?

Kim Thompson: As I mentioned earlier, women make up a large percentage of the workforce in coffee, ranging from 70 to 90%. We know that the empowerment of women has a direct correlation with the health of the community, the health of children, and the family’s sustainable livelihood, as well as the quality of coffee. If we visit a farming area where the women and children look unhealthy, where the washing stations are messy and disorganized, we can generalize and predict that the coffee will not be of good quality.

While men are in charge of coffee production activities and making decisions over these activities, women contribute to cleaning and management activities and are heavily involved in coffee harvesting, which requires hard physical labor to pick and carry baskets of ripened cherries.

We were founding members of Gender Equity, but now we focus more on the actual relationship with the community or farmers we purchase from. As roasters, it’s not our job to tell the farmers how to do their job or the processing team how to do theirs. Honest dialogue and clear communication, taking the time to understand their unique challenges, and coming up with solutions that benefit both of us strengthen the relationships we have. We want to be the first buyer they think of and the first to be offered their best coffee. For this, we pay a good price, and we pay on time.

Q: Looking to the future, how do you envision your continued support for farmers in Yemen, Ethiopia, and other regions? What are your goals for deepening these partnerships and ensuring their sustainability?

Kim Thompson: It all comes down to relationship building, communication, and trust. We desperately want to work with the farmers to ensure they continue growing our beautiful coffee, so they don’t pull out their coffee trees. We understand they need to have a viable income to support their families, and if they can’t, they’ll grow something else. That would be devastating.