Steans Beans

Steans Beans is a Amsterdam & Nairobi based coffee roaster. Steans has been working with Liza Coffee Washing Station in Rwanda since 2015. Liza Coffee Washing Station (coffee beans from the surrounding areas of Kagarama, Mururu, Rusizi, Iburengerazuba in Rwanda) supports smallholder coffee farmers to produce higher quality grade of coffee, which is incentivized by paying higher prices and coffee knowledge training. The processing of coffee following harvest normally requires the use of substantial amounts of clean water and water availability has year on year become increasingly challenging in East Africa’s coffee sector due to climate change and increasing population factors. In collaboration with Liza CWS, Steans Beans started experimental processing of naturally processed coffee in 2018. Naturally processed coffee uses minimal water to process compared to the current norm of 140 litres of water per cup of coffee. Sakami Coffee is located in Western Kenya. Steans Beans has been working with Sakami coffee since 2020. In partnership with the Dutch coffee trader, This Side Up, Steans Beans was in 2020 for the first time able to export coffee (produced by Sakami & surrounding artisanal coffee farmers) directly to the Netherlands rather than through the more complex route involving the coffee auction, middle men and marketing companies, all of which involve extra cost and longer lead times in getting shipments to destination. Sakami’s mission is to promote their coffee farming in a different part of the country and changing the way Kenyan coffee bean production and trading is currently done. GloriSteans Beans has established a close cooperation with both Sakami and the smallholder coffee farmers that surround their farm. Sakami coffee also focuses on the natural processing of coffee to reduce the water needed for the processing of the coffee beans. Access to clean water is becoming challenging in East Africa and Sakami is constantly looking for innovative ways to ensure their environmental impact can be decreased. Both a social and environmental ethos are building blocks of their companies mission. Via a pre-financing loan Steans Beans will be able to import a container of coffee from both Rwanda and Kenya, supporting the linked smallholder farmers.