Our Story
Alta Organic Coffee Warehouse & Roasting Company has been a pioneer in sourcing pesticide-free coffee for over 25 years. We are dedicated to the ethical and sustainable production, and consumption of coffee. Alta Organic roasts only the finest-organic, Arabica beans from coffee farms located throughout Central and South America, Indonesia, and Africa. Alta Organic is also a distributor for Choice Organic Teas.
During our early days, Founder Patti Spooner travelled to Central America, and visited both modernized coffee farms and traditional farms. She visited cooperatives and plantations in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and Costa Rica to learn more about “full-sun” and “shade-grown” coffee processes. The distinctions Patti discovered were profound, and the importance of shade-grown coffee and sustainable farming methods was revealed to her first hand.
Modernized coffee farms increase production by growing hybridized plants in direct sunlight, or full-sun, through the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. This approach to coffee production results in deforestation, severe soil erosion, contaminated water reservoirs, and the destruction of bird and insect habitats.
In contrast, traditional, shade-grown coffee shrubs are grown beneath a canopy of native forest trees, which filter carbon dioxide and aid in soil moisture retention. Organic farming methods promote healthy ecosystems, while safeguarding the health of farmers and their families.
What modernized coffee practices saw as an inconvenience, we understood to be essential for producer communities. Organic farming is a ray of hope, because sustainable agriculture provides greater biodiversity which helps stabilize the Earth’s climate by protecting its soil and water systems.
After our travels, Alta Organic vowed to only support sustainable farming practices, and we believe it is our duty to help resonate these values with others. The Earth’s future depends on producers and consumers who are conscious about the ethical, and sustainable quality of the foods they purchase and feed their families. Alta is committed to the environmental, and social health of our producer and consumer communities.
Alta Organic Coffee Warehouse & Roasting Company is proud to be part of the Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program.