What Dean’s Beans is All About
Dean’s Beans is 100% employee owned and proud of it. Since its start in 1993 by Dean Cycon, the company has been on a mission to prove that a for-profit business can actually create meaningful change. How? By sticking to ethical business practices that respect the earth, the farmers, the co-workers, and the consumers. Specialty coffee isn’t just a product here—it’s a vehicle for positive change.
The Main Benefits of Dean’s Beans
Here’s what makes Dean’s Beans stand out:
- Long-Term Relationships with coffee farming cooperatives like Prodecoop (Nicaragua), Cosurca (Colombia), and KKGO (Sumatra)
- Shade-Grown and Bird Friendly Coffee that supports healthy environments and critical migratory bird habitats
- Direct Farm-to-Roaster Trading, meaning farmers handle processing and exporting themselves, keeping more money in their hands
- Solar-Powered Roasting Facility offsetting up to 79% of fossil fuel electricity usage
- People-Centered Development Programs focusing on real community needs like clean water and healthcare
- Organic Certification by Bay State Organic Certifiers, reflecting a deep respect for the earth and everyone involved
Long-Term Relationships: The Heart of Fair Trade
Dean’s Beans doesn’t just chase the rarest or highest-quality beans and jump from coop to coop. Nope. They commit to farms and work alongside farmers over the long haul. This means the farmers can count on consistent partnerships year after year. Together, they focus on improving bean quality and supporting community projects that make a real difference. It’s a relationship built on trust, respect, and shared goals—something that truly sets their Fair Trade approach apart.
Shade-Grown & Bird Friendly Coffee: Protecting Nature
Buying only shade-grown coffee isn’t just a marketing move—it’s a commitment to the environment. Shade-grown coffee keeps the natural flora intact, providing shade, nourishment, and erosion control. Plus, it protects critical habitats for migratory songbirds like Baltimore Orioles and Bluebirds, and even Monarch butterflies. Some coop partners have even earned Bird Friendly® Certification from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. And bonus: inter-planting fruit trees adds nutrition and extra income for farming families. Pretty cool, right?
Direct Farm-to-Roaster Trading: Real Direct Trade
Here’s how it works: each year, Dean’s Beans talks directly with farm coops to agree on a price for a container of coffee. Usually, farmers send their coffee to mills for processing and exporting, which costs money and means less income for them. But these coops have invested their Fair Trade premiums to build their own processing capacity. So, farmers handle grading, milling, bagging, and exporting themselves. The last person to see the coffee in the home country? The farmer who locked the container door. The next? Dean’s Beans when they open it. That’s real direct trade—no middlemen, no extra fees.
Project Impact: Linking to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 1: No Poverty – Supporting farmers with fair prices and long-term partnerships
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger – Encouraging sustainable agriculture and food security
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – Using solar power to offset fossil fuel electricity
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Organic certification and ethical sourcing
- SDG 15: Life on Land – Protecting habitats through shade-grown and bird-friendly coffee
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Building lasting relationships with farming communities
People-Centered Development Programs: Empowering Communities
Dean’s Beans takes a people-centered approach to international development. Instead of imposing big projects that might not fit local needs, they focus on small, meaningful initiatives that communities actually want and can sustain on their own. Whether it’s clean water, healthcare, or income generation, the goal is empowerment. The real win? Seeing farming communities gain independence and thrive long after the initial support ends.
