10.02.2007 - 02:45pm ET

(CSRwire) PORTLAND, OR - October 2, 2007 - Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers, a U.S.-based importer of certified organic, fair trade and shade grown coffee working to integrate small family farmers and cooperatives in Africa and Central and South America into the global market will hold its fifth annual roaster-grower gathering, Let's Talk Coffee, October 5-8 at the Fiesta Resort, near the coastal town of Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Costa Rica was chosen as this year's host country in part because of its world-renowned focus on preserving the environment.

The theme of this year's event is "Calidad, Pura Vida!" (Quality, the good life!), and will have a thematic focus on climate change and its impact on coffee production. This will be the largest international coffee gathering to focus on these two interrelated topics. Panelists will give in-depth presentations on new models of carbon credit for shade grown coffee, sustainable coffee production systems, new methods for higher quality coffee milling that uses less water, and cupping calibration sessions among growers and roasters. Professional simultaneous translation will be provided for the more than 200 participants in attendance.

"Let's Talk Coffee is the hallmark of our Relationship Coffee Program" said Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers President and Founder, David Griswold, "This private conference gathers together the entire supply chain - coffee farmers and buyers - to discuss business needs and share best practices. It is through this private event that we are able to build trusting, transparent, and sustainable relationships between our suppliers and customers."

Speakers will include: Carlos Rodriguez, former Costa Rican Minister of the Environment; Dan Cox, President of Coffee Analysts; George Howell, the entrepreneur behind the successful Boston-based Coffee Connection retail stores and the co-founder of the international coffee auction systems, known as Cup of Excellence; and Tracy Ging, marketing director of the Coffee Quality Institute. A special guest, two-time winner of the Specialty Coffee Association of America's United States Barista Championship and runner-up at Recent World Barista Championship, Heather Perry of Coffee Klatch Roasting of San Dimas, California will also participate.

Roasters and partners in attendance will include: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (Vermont), who also supplies Newman's Own Organics, Tully's Coffee (Wash) Allegro Coffee (Colorado) a division of Whole Foods Markets, the Whole Foods/Whole Planet Foundation, Dillanos Coffee (Wash.), Batdorf & Bronson (Wash.), Groundwork Coffee (Calif.), Cafe Moto (Calif.), Ritual Roasters (Calif.), GH Select (Mass.), PTs Coffee (Kans.), Counter Culture Coffee (North Carolina), Solberg & Hansen (Norway), Conservation International Central America Responsible Social Finance Foundation (Calif.), Root Capital (Mass.), Oikocredit (Central America/Holland) and Shared Interest (UK).

About Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers
Founded in 1997, Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers is a Portland, Oregon-based green coffee broker providing top roasters in North America and Europe with the highest quality certified organic and fair trade specialty coffee. The company is dedicated to improving coffee supply chain practices by pioneering a new paradigm for global trade called Relationship Coffee and reinventing the purpose and actions of the middleman by building systems for transparency and traceability. Sustainable Harvest is one of only a few coffee importers in the world sourcing exclusively from small family farmers and cooperatives, which represent 100,000 growers in 15 countries. The company commercialized about one of every five pounds of fair trade and organic coffee sold in North America invests nearly half of its gross operating margin back into the supply chain to train and support farmers and facilitate supply-side activities. For more information on the company, visit www.sustainableharvest.

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