Inspired by coffee harvesters and their desire for a better life for their children, Socially Conscious Coffee (SCC) was founded in 2002 to provide education, healthcare, opportunity, and support to the families of coffee harvesters and their neighbors.

The well-known initiatives in the coffee industry focus on the prices paid to coffee farmers for their crop. This is important, but coffee harvesters and their children have continued to be the poorest and largest group of people in the coffee industry, suffering from a lack of education, healthcare, food, and safe water.

To provide help directly where it is needed most, SCC built a school and community center - called the Centro Rural Educafé in Portuguese - in Encruzilhada, Bahia, Brazil in 2004. At the Educafé, SCC began elementary education classes for children and literacy training for adults. With the input from the local men's and women's advisory associations, SCC has continued to develop its programs to meet the many needs of the community. In 2007 SCC served over 840 coffee harvesters and their families with education, medical assistance, environmental, health, hygiene, water and other programs.

SCC allows all of us to enjoy our coffee, knowing that the children of the men and women who harvest what is in our cups are now receiving a good education and healthy meals, and can have hope for the future. Join our vision of engaging coffee drinkers, companies, and farmers to bring education, healthcare, and opportunity to coffee harvesters and their children around the world.

The Centro Rural Educafé opening day celebration in March, 2005