In 1984, The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) hosted its first conference, entitled “Coffee, Human Rights, and Third World Economies.” Paul, President of SCAA at the time, visited Nicaragua the following year for the first time. When he witnessed the poor living conditions of the coffee farmers first hand it radically changed his view of coffee and how it should be produced and traded. The trip ignited Thanksgiving Coffee’s mission to become a force for good, committed to improving the lives of our coffee farming family. The company motto was born on Paul’s flight back from Nicaragua on April 17th, 1985 — Not Just A Cup, But A Just Cup. Thanksgiving Coffee became a conscious company, focused on global, environmental, economic, and social justice. The company’s Fair Trade practices and philanthropic partnerships have enabled coffee cooperatives to build schools, improve roads, and provide healthcare for workers in their communities.
