Introducing Sustainability Month at Canyon Coffee Roasters

When I write that sustainability lies at the heart of Canyon Coffee Roasters, I immediately wonder if it sounds cliché. While I believe in the truthfulness of that statement, does it mean anything, at all? Doesn’t every coffee company opine that they’re sustainable?

Our team has spoken at length about our core values, the jointly agreed upon ideas that drive our company forward. Sustainability always tops that list. We love the idea of a sustainable company, one that makes decisions to create a healthy, thriving, long-term future. We love the idea of a sustainable industry, one that creates adequate value for everyone along the supply chain and one that cares for the people, the environment, and the land on which coffee is grown. We love the idea of a sustainable community, one that creates healthy, long-term opportunities for people to grow and thrive.

We love the ideas. But are we actually doing anything? Sustainability, at its core, is about building systems that can thrive long term without exhausting the people, land, or communities connected to them. It creates value. There are many companies that pay lip service to sustainability while carrying on as they always have. Dare I say performative sustainability? How can we be a company that lives that value out in a genuine, reflective way?

 I don’t have a complete answer to that question. But we’re going to try to take a small step in the right direction by assigning a month each year to sustainability. This year, it’s a small thing. But what could it become in the future?

During the month of June, we’re going to be sharing information about industry, community, and company sustainability that we find important on our socials. We’re also partnering with Campbell’s Nursery to give away a free Nebraska native perennial to the first 50 in-store 16oz orders.

These are small steps. But sustainability is built through small, repeated actions over time. If we stay consistent, where could we go? What if we did it together?

--Nate