Gento Coffee Roasters

For most coffee enthusiasts, the beans that make their beloved brew don’t sprout in their backyards; instead, they are cultivated in humid climates, often in developing nations. Harvested by farmers and laborers when perfectly ripe, the beans then embark on a journey through distributors and wholesalers before reaching roasters. These roasters transform the raw beans into the final coffee product, eventually reaching coffee shops and grocery stores. The last leg of this journey sees the beans skillfully brewed by baristas and handed over to consumers. However, this extensive journey is not without challenges.

Despite recent increases in coffee prices, the cost of green coffee in commodity markets remains volatile. This significantly challenges a majority of coffee producers who find themselves ensnared in a commodity trap, leaving them with limited influence over coffee prices. In addition, most of the profits generated often end up in the pockets of cafes and retail stores rather than benefiting the farmers themselves.

Recognizing this challenge, Ashley Prentice, a third-generation coffee farmer from Guatemala with over 13 years of experience in the industry, identified the need for a company that could serve as a platform connecting farmers directly to the market. Her goal was to empower farming families, increase their profits, and contribute to retaining more income within the coffeeproducing countries. She formed Gento Coffee Roasters in the heart of Guatemala’s coffee-rich landscapes. It is a pioneering roasting and exporting company committed to reshaping the coffee industry by cutting out intermediaries within the intricate coffee supply chain to maximize profits for the farmers.

“We curate coffees from different regions of Guatemala, partnering with producers to improve quality, ensuring excellence that enriches the brew and the lives of those who harvest it. Our commitment is to create a direct path from farm to cup, cultivating prosperity at every step,” says Prentice, founder of Gento Coffee Roasters.

As a coffee quality grader herself, she assists farmers in refining their farming techniques and categorizes their coffee quality to access specialized markets, thereby securing better prices for the farmers.

The focus of Gento lies in prioritizing quality and freshness. The company meticulously sources coffee beans from various regions in Guatemala, including its family’s farm and other small producers. The objective is to obtain high-quality beans, which are then roasted on demand for clients. Gento aims to showcase the diverse flavors of Guatemalan coffees, offering selections from different regions and profiles. It also creates custom blends for clients seeking a personalized touch to their espresso or coffee. Some clients even opt for white-label options, collaborating with specific producers and packaging the coffee with their own branding.

One notable success in this collaborative approach is Gento’s partnership with a women-owned cafe and restaurant in the United States, supporting them from the start. From the outset, the company assisted in crafting the menu, aiming to create a distinctive offering that emphasized the stories of local farmers. It supported the cafe with marketing materials, including catalogs and pictures from the visited farms that showcased each coffee’s origin, including the farmer’s name and background. The focus extended beyond just freshness and quality; it aimed to convey the narrative behind each cup of coffee, to create a personalized touch for each offering.

In addition, a custom blend was developed for the cafe, known as their house coffee, which encapsulates the desired Guatemalan flavors and serves as a base espresso for milk beverages. The blend is delivered with customized packaging and branding. The collaboration resulted in a successful outcome, as the differentiated menu significantly boosted coffee sales year after year, demonstrating the effectiveness of the partnership in enhancing the cafe’s offerings and customer engagement.

A key factor contributing to this success is the team’s distinct strength, where each member brings specialized expertise in different facets of the coffee industry. The individuals, whether initially rooted in a coffee background or not, have evolved into comprehensive coffee experts due to the proximity to the origin and engagement with producers. This knowledge is exchanged by connecting producers to better markets and empowering employees, such as the roaster or marketing specialist, to share their knowledge with producing partners. It also enables the team to stay abreast of the latest trends and developments within the industry, including the noticeable increase in consumer preference for farm-to-table products, particularly within the specialty coffee sector.

With consumers increasingly seeking transparency and traceability in the products they consume, Gento is responding to this trend by introducing farm-to-cup coffee options. These offerings are available for direct purchase through e-commerce platforms and cater to wholesale clients seeking a distinct coffee menu. The clients prioritize transparency regarding the coffee’s origins and are keen to share the story of the farmers involved, positively impacting the farming families they have partnered with consistently over the years.

Apart from fostering sustainable business practices, Gento demonstrates a strong sense of corporate responsibility. It allocates 10 percent of its profits toward supporting rural communities to address food insecurity and enhancing educational opportunities. The positive impact of these programs is evident within the organization and through the collaboration with clients who share the same philanthropic mission. Consequently, they actively fund education programs, such as scholarships for the daughters of its producers. These collaborations allow Gento and its partners to share impactful stories with consumers, fostering a sense of community and direct support for meaningful causes.