Growing Together: A Coffee That Uplifts Communities
Coffee is more than just a beverage—it’s a livelihood for millions of farmers around the world. Behind every great cup, there’s a story of dedication, craftsmanship, and resilience. With the Growing Together Blend, we’re proud to offer a coffee that not only delivers exceptional flavor but also supports small and medium-sized producers in El Salvador through a program that empowers farmers, promotes sustainability, and strengthens communities.
Who is Odyssey Coffees?
Odyssey Coffees is a specialty coffee producer and importer with deep roots in El Salvador’s coffee industry. Founded by Emilio López and Jose Roberto Santamaría—both from multigenerational coffee-producing families—Odyssey Coffees takes a vertically integrated approach, managing everything from farming to exporting. This ensures full traceability, consistent quality, and a commitment to sustainability at every step. Their dedication extends beyond coffee, as they actively work to improve the lives of producers and their communities.
The Growing Together Program: Supporting Farmers and Communities
The Growing Together Program is an initiative by Odyssey Coffees designed to create long-term sustainability for coffee producers while fostering economic, social, and environmental well-being. One of its key aspects is inclusivity—30% of the growers in this program are women, ensuring that economic opportunities in coffee farming are more accessible. The program is built on three core pillars:
1. Environmental Conservation
Sustainability is at the heart of this Program. Odyssey Coffees ensures that all participating farms meet Rainforest Alliance certification standards, focusing on responsible farming practices. They have also taken significant steps to protect biodiversity, such as:
Planting 1,800 native shade trees at Ayutepeque farm to improve soil health and create a sustainable growing environment.
Maintaining a 75-hectare private nature reserve at Las Isabellas farm, which provides a habitat for endangered species and supplies clean spring water to over 2,000 families.
2. Community Well-being
The impact of the Growing Together Program goes far beyond coffee production. Odyssey Coffees has launched several community initiatives to support health, education, and access to essential resources:
Partnering with FUDEM, a non-profit organization, to provide vision care to children and teachers in farming communities. Many recipients have received prescription glasses, improving their quality of life.
Investing in clean water access, installing a water pump system that now supplies an additional 250 families with fresh drinking water.
Providing medical care for farm workers and their families, ensuring better health outcomes in rural communities.
3. Economic Empowerment
The Growing Together Program offers coffee farmers technical training, financial support, and market access, helping them improve both their income and coffee quality. Farmers receive guidance on soil management, pest control, and harvesting techniques, leading to increased production and higher cupping scores.
Coffee quality has improved, with average scores rising from 80 to 83 points.
Production has expanded significantly, growing from 333 bags in 2020/21 to 1,666 bags in 2023/24.
Farmers receive fairer pricing, with financial support that allows them to invest in their crops and families.
Growing Together Blend at Our Roastery
When we learned about the impact of the Growing Together program, we knew we wanted to be a part of it. Coffee People founders Annar Alas and Heili Politanov traveled to El Salvador, met with the farmers, and personally selected this coffee to bring to our roastery. This is a coffee with a story—one that highlights the passion and dedication of the people behind it.
With that in mind, we brought the Growing Together Blend to our roastery—carefully roasted to bring out its rich flavor nuances.
This blend offers a creamy-bodied cup with cocoa sweetness and black currant acidity—a true tribute to the farmers who cultivated it with such care and dedication. But beyond its great taste, every bag of Growing Together Blend supports coffee producers, the environment, and local communities.
By choosing Growing Together Blend, you’re not just enjoying an excellent cup of coffee—you’re also becoming part of a mission to build a fairer and more sustainable coffee industry.
Try it for yourself! Growing Together Blend is now available at our roastery and online shop.