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At Easy Jose Coffee, our commitment goes beyond sourcing exceptional coffee; we're deeply invested in protecting the environments where our coffee is grown. That's why, on International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, we've partnered with Cool Earth, an incredible organisation that works directly with Indigenous communities, to protect rainforests and combat deforestation.
Cool Earth supports Indigenous individuals living within rainforests by giving them unconditional cash transfers to fund projects that create choice (such as growing coffee), tackle the root causes of deforestation, and protect vital carbon sinks. Cool Earth’s people-powered projects overcome a key driver of deforestation: poverty. Cash generation eases financial hardship. By creating sustainable incomes for Indigenous generations, this allows for food security and education, which can help stop the need to sell rainforest as a last resort for much-needed cash.
Since Cool Earth was founded in 2007, they have established over 40 community projects in the Amazon, Congo and New Guinea rainforests, protecting 136 million trees. That's 243 million tonnes of carbon stored and kept out of the atmosphere!
The Asháninka Community
One of the communities Cool Earth works directly with is the Asháninka community, located in Peru’s Ene Valley, who have called 60,000 acres of tropical rainforest home for thousands of years. Unfortunately the Asháninka community and their land have been exploited for years. From colonialists and missionaries to extractive industries searching for wood, gold and oil, to corrupted governments and ill-fated conservation attempts. All causing harm to their Indigenous Peoples and extensive damage to one of the world’s most valuable carbon sinks.
Cool Earth supports four Asháninka villages: Cutivireni, Camantavishi, Parijaro, and Oviri, where these communities face numerous external pressures. It’s not deforestation or even the resulting climate breakdown that threatens the Asháninka most – it’s marginalisation. Cash doesn’t solve everything, but it provides choice, enabling sustainable livelihoods and forest conservation. These people-powered projects include:
- Forest Monitoring: By combining traditional knowledge with satellite data, the Asháninka, like community member Adelaida in Cutivireni, gain valuable insights to drive climate action.
- Cacao Farming: Over 200 families have been trained to grow cacao sustainably. This initiative, spearheaded by community members like Mariá, transforms abandoned forest gardens into productive agricultural plots, ensuring a fair price through cooperation with growers unions.
- Wildfire Prevention: Partnering with the indigenous-led NGO CARE, we help combat wildfires before they start, protecting both the forest and the communities.
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Coffee Production: Coffee is a crucial cash crop for the Asháninka, providing a sustainable income that supports their way of life and rainforest conservation.
The Awajún: Defenders of the Marañon River
The Awajún, the second-largest Indigenous group in the Amazon, inhabit 16,000 hectares of the Peruvian rainforest along the Marañon river. Their deep connection with nature and Indigenous wisdom makes them exceptional guardians of the river. Cool Earth partners with two Awajún communities, ensuring the protection of three million tonnes of carbon stored in their rainforest.
The Awajún face relentless threats from industries seeking gold, oil, and timber. Beyond the climate crisis, the real danger is the greed-driven exploitation of their lands. Providing the Awajún with choices – through direct donations – enables them to develop new livelihoods, sustainable food production, and enhanced rainforest monitoring. These projects include:
- Fish Farms: These provide a reliable source of protein and income, reducing dependence on external resources.
- Cacao Production: Over 200 families cultivate cacao on abandoned forest gardens, generating income and alleviating financial pressures that lead to deforestation.
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Rainforest Monitoring: By supporting traditional knowledge with satellite data, the Awajún can better protect their rainforest and drive effective climate action.
A joint mission for a fairer future
To mark the start of our ongoing partnership with Cool Earth, we’re donating 20% of every Cool Earth x Easy Jose Indigenous Community Coffee bag to the organisation. The funds will go directly to the Awajún and Asháninka communities, along with the many other Indigenous individuals they work directly with across the Amazon, Congo Basin and New Guinea.
Together, we can make a difference, one coffee at a time. Read more about Cool Earth and their incredible work here.
