Great coffee and positive impact aren't competing priorities—they're inseparable. When you treat people well, work with integrity, and care for the land, you end up with better coffee.

Impact isn't something we add on top of our business. It's how we do business.

Impact on Planet

Coffee and the environment are deeply connected. Climate change threatens coffee-growing regions worldwide, and how coffee is grown can either contribute to the problem or be part of the solution.

We prioritize shade-grown coffee whenever possible. Unlike sun-grown monocultures that require cleared land, shade-grown coffee is cultivated beneath forest canopy—preserving ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, and producing better-tasting coffee. The slower ripening process under shade develops more complex flavors.

Closer to home, we're committed to circular practices. We were the first business customer of Queen City Compost, and our spent coffee grounds go to their facility rather than the landfill. Through our partnership with Aiken High School, those composted grounds help nourish a student-run garden—turning waste into education and fresh produce. Our packaging is recyclable, and we're always looking for ways to reduce our footprint.

Impact on People

Sourcing with Intention

We prioritize sourcing from producers who pay living wages to their workers. Rather than work through anonymous commodity markets, we partner with importers who build genuine relationships with farming communities—visiting regularly, understanding local needs, and ensuring fair compensation reaches the people doing the work.

Our approach is "go wide and deep." We maintain a broad network of ethical sourcing relationships while investing deeply in one primary direct trade partnership: a woman-owned farm in Copán Ruinas, Honduras. Fourth-generation farmer and the first in her family to produce specialty coffee, our partner there is now establishing a cooperative to train and support other women producers—sharing expertise, equipment, and market access.

There's no one-size-fits-all model for ethical sourcing. We meet producers where they are.

Empowering the Third Place

Our name means "the third" in Italian—a reference to the third place, those gathering spaces between home and work where community happens. In today's climate of division, we believe these spaces matter more than ever.

We're committed to fostering environments where real conversation can happen—both in our own work and by supporting the independent coffee shops we serve throughout Southwest Ohio. We want every shop we partner with to thrive not just as a business, but as a gathering place for their community.

Learn more about our Third Place philosophy.

It Takes a Village

We're one of several quality-focused roasters in Cincinnati, and we think that's a good thing. A rising tide lifts all boats. When more people in our region appreciate great coffee, everyone benefits—roasters, shops, and the farming communities we all source from.

We'd rather collaborate than compete. The work of building a more ethical coffee industry is bigger than any single company.

The Bigger Picture

We don't claim to have it all figured out. Ethical sourcing is complicated, sustainability is a journey, and there's always more we could be doing. What we can promise is that we're paying attention, asking hard questions, and trying to get better.

Every bag of La Terza coffee represents relationships—with farmers, with importers, with the shops and restaurants we serve, and with you. We take those relationships seriously.