Jose Osman, a fair-trade coffee farmer, has been part of the COOCENTRAL farming cooperative in Huila, Colombia for more than 40 years. In that time, he’s seen it grow from 60 farmers to over 3,000 today.
Osman takes pride in his work and the coffee he produces. He truly cares for the earth and is dedicated to farming coffee in a way that benefits both the world and the coffee beans themselves — and Laughing Man® Coffee shares that dedication.
Laughing Man® Coffee, co-founded by Hugh Jackman, is determined to “make every cup count.” So a portion of the proceeds from every purchase of Laughing Man® Coffee goes toward helping farmers like Osman through the Laughing Man Foundation.
With the support of Laughing Man® Coffee, Osman hopes to upgrade the washing stations on his farm to be more eco-friendly. He has been a champion for more sustainable farming within his community and has inspired other farmers in the co-op to adopt more earth-friendly practices.
Laughing Man® Coffee, shares in Osman’s commitment to the environment and has its coffee available in recyclable K-Cup pods that can be used in Keurig® K-Cup® pod coffee makers.
Through the foundation, Laughing Man® Coffee empowers coffee farmers and their families to pursue their dreams. This past year, the Laughing Man Foundation provided 40 college scholarships and funding to improve 100 homes, according to the foundation’s website.
Rivaldo Arley Walles Salinas, the son of Miller Walles Cruz, a member of the cooperative, is one of the students whose lives has been transformed with the support of Laughing Man® Coffee.
“I grew up in the municipality of Agrado, and I am currently in my second semester at a local university in the department of Huila, studying International Business. I am very grateful to COOCENTRAL for the financial support that is allowing me to pursue a professional career and ultimately fulfill my dream of starting my own specialty coffee exporting company with my family,” Rivaldo says.
Spurred on by the support of COOCENTRAL and Laughing Man® Coffee some of the youth of Huila are also planning to continue on the company’s mission of sustainably growing coffee and empowering farmers.
Nicolás Chauz Chavarro, the 19-year-old son of COOCENTRAL member Jose Tito Chaux Palencia, says he first decided to pursue a career path that would benefit coffee growers after finishing secondary school.
“Thanks to the student scholarship provided by COOCENTRAL, I am able to pursue a professional degree in agronomy through the distance learning university, and work towards my dream of successfully owning and running a small family farm,” Nicolás says.