Making a big impression in the coffee industry

VIROQUA – From its 100% solar-powered roastery to its industry-leading minimum price guarantee to its 5% giving program – the Wonderstate Coffee team strives to carry out its “great coffee has to serve a collective future” mission with each cup of Joe it serves.

Owner TJ Semanchin said Wonderstate’s passion for using high-quality beans is equally matched by its unwavering dedication to the community of farmers and farmer cooperatives.

So much so, he said, that the core of the shop’s business model is centered around farmer welfare – approaching the coffee industry through the lens of sustainable development focusing on the social, economic and ecological components.

Since day one, Semanchin said the Wonderstate team has been committed to using fair trade movement principles when it comes to farmer pay – going as far as setting its own minimum price when they thought the system wasn’t responsive enough.

“We took it upon ourselves to set a minimum price to pay the farmers, and as far as we know, it’s the highest minimum price paid in the country,” he said...