Growing coffee partners

On 21 March, Kaulayaw Coffee received the Sustainability Standard for Business Innovation-The Seal of Gold Excellence award at the 8th Nation Builders & MOSLIV Awards held at Okada Manila. It was the second MOSLIV recognition for the coffeeshop chain. In the 2023 edition of the awards, Kaulayaw Coffee was adjudged Certified Most Sustainable and Livable Company in the Philippines while its president and CEO Allyn Joy Cabarles took home the Chief Executive Officer of the Year plum.

Kaulayaw’s sustainable business model was key for the win. Unlike other cafes with one or two suppliers, Cabarles’ four-year-old business partners with coffee growers in Ilocos, Bulacan, Cordillera, Batangas, Bukidnon, Davao, Sultan Kudarat and even Sulu.

“We work closely with them [farmers] to promote sustainable farming practices, ensure fair compensation, and create programs that directly benefit their communities,” Cabarles said.

“I believe that in the long run, sustainability leads to savings and greater value. It strengthens supply chains, builds trust with conscious consumers, reduces waste, and contributes to healthier communities and ecosystems. The real ‘cost’ comes when we ignore sustainability and face environmental and social consequences later on,” she added.

Marc Lhester Sadural, corporate communications officer of Kaulayaw Coffee, said sustainability benefits farmers in the long run.

Coffee trees have a long lifespan and can continuously produce harvests for years, providing a “more stable and enduring source of income for farmers,” according to Sadural.

Lifeline

Kaulayaw Coffee took a leap of faith when it opened its store in July 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. From a small spot inside a restaurant in Antipolo City, the cafe expanded by opening branches in Bonifacio Global City and Estancia Mall.

Behind Kaulayaw’s growth is a deeper mission — to support Filipino coffee farmers who have long struggled with economic challenges.

“Many small-time coffee farmers are being displaced because they can’t compete with cheaper imports. Some have abandoned coffee farming entirely in favor of other crops that offer more stable income,” Sadural said.

Dubria Farms, an award-winning coffee farm in Bansalan, Davao del Sur, located at the foothills of Mt. Apo, is one of the partners of Kaulayaw.

“Because of coffee, our place has become known. People from all corners of the world visit our farm, wanting to see where our coffee comes from,” owner Marivic Dubria said in a video posted by Kaulayaw Coffee.

For farmers, coffee is not just a crop — it is a lifeline.

“Coffee is money — to be able to send our children to school,” one of its farmers said.

Kaulayaw’s sustainability efforts also extend to job creation. The company initially hired students as part-timers but soon realized that many chose to forgo their education in favor of earning money.

“We didn’t want to send the wrong message. Instead, we started hiring mothers — women with no prior experience but with the willingness to learn,” Sadural said. “Under the guidance of executive chef Allysa Janine Niño, these women underwent intensive training and are now integral members of the Kaulayaw team.”