Food 4 Farmers

What Food 4 Farmers does

Food 4 Farmers is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 and headquartered in Burlington, Vermont, operating with a 1-10 employee team. Its mission is to address seasonal food insecurity — referred to in the field as the "thin months" (3-8 months of hunger per year) — among small-scale coffee-farming families across Latin America. The organization does this by partnering with six community-level coffee cooperatives (CESMACH, COMEPCAFE, ACODIHUE, Maya Ixil, SOPPEXCCA) and four specialized implementing partners (ECOSUR, ESPORA, ASDENIC, TENAMASTE) to deliver programmatic interventions centered on home food production, income diversification, and capacity building.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its offerings are programmatic and human-delivered. Core programmatic and fundraising vehicles include the Coffee for Change business membership program (enabling coffee companies to contribute a percentage of sales), Gaming 4 Coffee (a fundraising initiative targeting gamer-coffee consumers on platforms such as Twitch and Streamlabs), a Sustaining Partnership monthly giving program starting at $25/month, and an online merchandise shop. The organization holds a GuideStar Transparency Seal, a Charity Navigator four-star rating, and 1% for the Planet membership, and was named the 2024 NCA Origin Charity of the Year.

Revenue is diversified across individual recurring donations, B2B partnerships via Coffee for Change, merchandise sales, and grant funding. Go-to-market is community-led and partner-amplified rather than direct sales — marketing relies on content (blog, newsletter), social media, creative campaigns, and peer-to-peer event fundraising. Notable historical grant inflows include $50,000 from Rick Steves and a $20,000 matching grant from Nell Newman, both in 2019. Named corporate partners include Philz Coffee, Interamerican Coffee, GrainPro, and Camano Island Coffee. Leadership includes Executive Director Marcela Pino, Co-Founder Rick Peyser, and Development Director Jenn Staunton.

Name

Food 4 Farmers

Legal name

Food 4 Farmers

Website

https://food4farmers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Food 4 Farmers is a Burlington, Vermont-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that partners with coffee cooperatives and implementing organizations across Latin America to combat seasonal food insecurity among small-scale coffee-farming families through home food production, income diversification, and capacity-building programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development and Food Security Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA), Agriculture & Food Security Development (BPAGABAB), Resilient Livelihoods & Climate-Smart Food Security (BPADAJAH), Tea, Coffee & Cocoa Farming (Beverage Specialty Crops) (AFAGAGAG)

Keywords

• Food security programs
• Coffee farmer support
• Community development nonprofit
• Income diversification programs
• Sustainable agriculture initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Hinesburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting food security for coffee farming families. Options include one-time donations and monthly sustaining partnerships.
2. Coffee for Change Program: Business partnerships where coffee companies donate a percentage or set amount from coffee or merch offerings. Includes impact reporting, content, and marketing recognition for members.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sales of branded merchandise including totes, t-shirts, and sweatshirts through the online shop.
4. 1% for the Planet / Beam Impact: Companies register through 1% for the Planet or Beam Impact to automatically contribute a small percentage of sales to Food 4 Farmers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Food 4 Farmers is a nonprofit organization that runs community-led food security programs in partnership with coffee cooperatives and local implementing NGOs across Latin America. Its core work consists of home food production support, income diversification (e.g., beekeeping, agroforestry), and capacity building for coffee-farming families facing 3-8 months of seasonal hunger annually. The organization funds these programs through individual donations, monthly sustaining partnerships, the Coffee for Change corporate membership program, merchandise sales, and grants.

Product overview

Food 4 Farmers is a nonprofit organization (not a technology product company) that operates programs to combat food insecurity in coffee-farming communities across Latin America. Its offerings include the Coffee for Change business membership program, Gaming 4 Coffee fundraising initiative, monthly sustaining partnerships for individual donors, and a merchandise shop. The organization does not offer a software product or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coffee for Change: A program that allows businesses to contribute a percentage of their coffee sales to support food-insecure coffee farming families.

Products and services

• Food 4 Farmers Core Food Security Programs Nonprofit programs that address food insecurity in coffee-farming communities across Latin America through home food production, income diversification, and capacity building. Designed for coffee cooperatives and smallholder farmer families facing 3-8 months of seasonal hunger.
• Coffee for Change Business membership program that enables coffee companies (roasters, cafes) to automatically donate a percentage of sales to Food 4 Farmers. Members receive impact reporting, content updates, marketing recognition, and access to an impact seal for roasters and cafes.
• Sustaining Partnership (Monthly Donations) Recurring individual donor program starting at $25 per month that provides coffee-farming families with resources to produce fresh food, high-quality honey, and on-farm income diversification strategies. Donations are tax-deductible.
• Gaming 4 Coffee Fundraising initiative targeting gamers who are coffee consumers, offering downloadable guides and donation options (including Twitch and Streamlabs charity integration) to support coffee-farming families facing food insecurity.
• Merchandise Shop Online storefront selling branded merchandise including tote bags, t-shirts, and sweatshirts, with proceeds supporting Food 4 Farmers' food security programs.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• DERMACminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Past Implementing Partner - Rural Development and Environment A.C. in Chiapas, Mexico. Collaborated from 2021-2023 on a home garden program with women cacao producers in the Soconusco region.
• Philz CoffeecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPhilz Coffee participates in the Coffee for Change program with their Gratitude blend sourced from coffee farming communities in Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. Proceeds from the blend support Food 4 Farmers organizations. This is a key partnership providing ongoing funding for food security programs.
• Interamerican CoffeecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoffee for Change member company. Interamerican Coffee supports programs that promote the long-term financial and environmental health of coffee farms and communities.
• GrainProcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoffee for Change member. GrainPro's CEO Jordan Dey is quoted supporting Food 4 Farmers' mission to eliminate chronic hunger between harvests for coffee-farming families.
• Camano Island CoffeecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoffee for Change member. Early supporter committed to funding Food 4 Farmers because farmers deserve more from the market.
• CESMACHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner - a coffee cooperative that Food 4 Farmers works with directly to engage coffee-farming families. One of 6 current community partners across Latin America.
• COMEPCAFEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner - a coffee cooperative. Food 4 Farmers works with COMEPCAFE directly to implement food security programs for member farming families.
• ACODIHUEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner - a coffee cooperative. One of the community partner organizations engaged directly with by Food 4 Farmers.
• Maya IxilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner - a coffee cooperative in Guatemala. Food 4 Farmers partners with Maya Ixil to engage with coffee-farming families in their communities.
• SOPPEXCCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner - a coffee cooperative. Food 4 Farmers works with SOPPEXCCA to implement food security and capacity building programs.
• ECOSURcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing Partner - a local development organization that brings specialized expertise to implement food security strategies. One of 4 current implementing partners.
• ESPORAcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing Partner - local development organization providing specialized expertise for food security programs. Partner since at least 2023.
• ASDENICcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing Partner - a local development organization bringing specialized expertise to implement key food security strategies effectively.
• TENAMASTEcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementing Partner - local development organization providing specialized expertise for food security and agricultural diversification programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Heifer International: Larger nonprofit working globally on ending hunger and poverty through sustainable agriculture, including programs that overlap with coffee-farming community food security. Broader scope but materially overlapping mission and beneficiary type.
• Root Capital: Nonprofit agricultural lender that finances coffee cooperatives and smallholder farmer businesses in Latin America and Africa. Closely connected to the same co-op ecosystem that Food 4 Farmers serves.
• TechnoServe: International development nonprofit that supports coffee farmers with income diversification, climate resilience, and market access in Latin America. Operates at greater scale with overlapping beneficiary and outcome focus.
• Fair Trade USA: Major fair-trade certification organization working with coffee cooperatives in Latin America on farmer livelihoods and community development. Comparable geography, beneficiary base, and food security adjacent programming through community premiums.

Direct peers

• Coffee Kids (now part of Save the Children): Originally an independent nonprofit focused on food security and livelihoods for coffee-farming families in Latin America, now operating within Save the Children. Most directly comparable organization in mission, geography, and beneficiary population.
• Grounds for Health: Nonprofit working specifically with coffee-growing communities in Latin America and Africa on health services. Comparable nonprofit-business hybrid model engaging coffee-industry partners to deliver community programs.
• The Coffee Trust: Nonprofit working directly with indigenous coffee-farming communities on food sovereignty and economic diversification in Guatemala. Closely mirrors Food 4 Farmers' community-led model and Latin American focus.

Emerging players

• Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers: Specialty coffee importer that operates its own 'Relationship Coffee' model with farmer training and community programs overlapping Food 4 Farmers' mission. Comparable as a private sector counterpart executing similar supply-chain farmer-support programs.
• Counter Culture Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster with sustainability programs for coffee-farming communities including direct trade relationships and farmer support — represents the buyer-side counterpart to nonprofit intervention in coffee supply chains.

Others

• Coffee Quality Institute: Nonprofit focused on coffee quality improvement and training throughout the supply chain including sustainable agriculture. Tangentially related industry nonprofit serving overlapping coffee ecosystem participants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/food4farmers
• Facebookfacebook.com/food4farmers

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Food 4 Farmers