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Royal Coffee Inc., Green Coffee Importers

Symbol Guide:
	Certified Organic
	Shade-Grown
	Fairly Traded
	Co-op

We roast highest grade arabica coffee beans from 15 - 20 countries. The majority come from a green bean importing firm in San Francisco, which has the resources to travel and research the beans & the farms they’re grown on.

Politcal, climatic, or geological circumstances may prevent us from carrying beans from some regions. Yearly differences in coffee-growing conditions cause a subtle variation in  flavours; we adjust our blends slightly to compensate. We will always try to give you the perfect roast to suit your tastes.

Most of our beans are sold as blends, but please let us know if you'd like to order a single varietal or a custom mix. Green bean sales available. Contact us to order.

Our organic beans come from certified organic plantations in 12 - 14 countries (many of our non-certified beans (Ethiopian, for example) are probably organic, because the farmers haven’t the resources either to certify their product or to buy pesticides and herbicides).

We have several sources of certified fairly trade beans. “Fair Trade” refers to beans grown on cooperatives and for which farmers have received an internationally set fair price. The Fair Trademark initiative is a commendable movement, but we hope the organisers will broaden their criteria. As it stands, many growers who pay their workers well are excluded simply because they don’t belong to cooperatives.

Coffee grows naturally in the shade. Most of our beans come from plantations using the traditional ‘shade tree strategy,’ a growing method that leaves forests intact and nurtures indigenous vegetation and animals. (Not all unforested coffee plantations are monocultured clearcuts—some countries have enough afternoon cloud that traditional plant varieties can grow in naturally open spaces.) Most organic coffee is also shade-grown.

Three main regions make up the coffee-growing world: Africa/ Middle East, Central/South America, and Indonesia. Most beans from each region share general characteristics, and these are as follows:

Africa/ Middle East: sharp, zesty, lively
Central/ South America: slightly mild, full-bodied
Indonesia: smooth and sweet

Africa / Middle East
[]	Ethiopia (areas of Harar, Sidamo, & Yirgacheffe)
	Yemen
	Kenya
	Tanzania
[]	Uganda
Central / South America
	Peru		Guatemala
	Nicaragua		El Salvador
	Mexico		Colombia (Mesa de los Santos)
	Cuba		Panama
Indonesia
	Sumatra
	Sulawesi (Celebes)