AUSTIN, Texas, U.S. — Chameleon Cold-Brew, a leading provider of organic, sustainably grown and ethically sourced coffee, announced today the debut of its sustainability program, which in its inaugural year will establish five community-driven projects in four countries to empower farmers with the technical assistance and resources to not only improve the quality of organically produced coffee, but their livelihoods as well.
“Our ultimate objective is to create long-term economic, environmental and social sustainability through compassionate leadership within the global coffee supply chain,” says Chameleon Director of Coffee Matt Swenson. “We strongly believe that empowering our partners in coffee-farming communities with the proper tools, resources and support at a grassroots level will drive sustainable change.”
As evidence to its early success and commitment to the program, Chameleon has already reached significant milestones with its first two projects: the completion of the Cenfrocafe Coffee Quality lab in San Ignacio, Peru and the launch of the Myanmar Organic Initiative.
The newly constructed Cenfrocafe Coffee Quality lab in Peru features specialized equipment and a formally trained Q-Grader, who will be able to evaluate coffee quality and provide real-time feedback to farmers throughout the growing and harvesting season – improving the value proposition for the farming community.
Chameleon will continue to engage with Cenfrocafe and the regional coffee-growing community via ongoing town hall meetings to collaboratively plan and develop the next phase of the project, with the goal of increasing overall coffee quality and yields.
Chameleon’s second project, the Myanmar Organic Initiative, is also underway with the intention of supporting Myanmar’s efforts to certify organically grown coffee. While much of the coffee is produced using traditional organic methods, very little is certified and exported as organic.
The company will retail a limited number of small-batch, micro-lot coffee from Myaing, Myanmar – aged eight weeks in FEW Whiskey barrels – with 100 percent of gross proceeds benefiting Myanmar communities for organic-focused projects.
Engineered by Chameleon’s Director of Coffee, Matt Swenson, and CEO Chris Campbell, the sustainability program demonstrates Chameleon’s vested interest in the success of its partner producers and further defines the company’s holistic approach to relationship-driven sourcing practices, which account for roughly 85 percent of all beans purchased by Chameleon.
“We have always worked diligently to source our coffee in ways that not only make us proud of what we do, but also make lasting positive impacts to our suppliers,” said Chris Campbell, Chameleon CEO.
“As our business has grown, our ability to make choices that drive change has also expanded. The launch of this program is the culmination of eight years of effort and demonstrates to the world that for Chameleon, quality must be rooted in compassion – for our partners and for our planet.”
As a long term component of the sustainability program, Chameleon recently signed on to partner with the World Coffee Research Organization to support its mission of driving research on best agricultural practices, coffee genetics and supplies of quality coffee for future generations.
For more information about Chameleon Cold-Brew and its sustainability projects, or to purchase coffee in support of the Myanmar Organic Initiative, visit www.chameleoncoldbrew.com.
