VUE

T he sustainability aspect of our business is seen essentially in the social responsibility and outreach programs we are inciting for these communities. Whether it's building kitchens or schoolhouses with [these communities], or helping to consult dieticians, doctors, or even buying them alpacas so that they can use them for their fur and for transportation, rather than just throwing money at them," Bossie explains. As consumers, we have been encouraged to look for terms among the likes of sustainable, non-GMO, Fair-Trade Certified, and organic, when it comes to supporting brands and products. Yet how oen is it that we are encouraged to get to the heart of these words and discover what they mean to us, and how our products get to us? Many products that list these terms use them as a selling point, rather than a way to start a conversation about the benefits they can have in one's dietary and lifestyle choices. e Afficionado team works to highlight the significance behind these popular terms and share the ethics behind supporting these ideals. "Everything that we sell goes from farm to cup whether it's to our wholesale clients like cafes and restaurants, or to our customers who buy smaller quantities." Bossie encourages us to look further into the brands that we choose to support in order to make sure that there is a sense of transparency regarding the product's journey. If the lines become blurred at any point, the brand loses its sense of credibility and fails to communicate the truth of their product to the customer. One of Afficionado's newer and more creative products is their Cascara brew, made with the otherwise discarded coffee "berries" or colorful shells that coat the bean itself. Turso is the mastermind behind this sweet and fruity drink that pleasantly surprises the palate. Found in the walk-in cooler of the Morganville facility among several kettles of Quechua Cold Brew and Cascara, Turso's dedication to the Afficionado brand is evident. His engineering of this product is huge, and may inspire other coffee roasters to create similar products by re-thinking the coffee plant itself. is product encapsulates the unparalleled innovation and sustainable practices being exercised by the Afficionado team, and speaks to the versatility of the coffee plant, and the talent of Turso. Looking forward, Bossie is confident that the example he is setting among Afficionado's competitiors and their customers alike will become more popular throughout the coffee industry and make its way into other product lines as well. "I believe that the future of purchasing is going to involve consumers looking into why an item costs what it does. In our case, say you pay $3 per pound of coffee, sometimes you charge less and sometimes you charge more, but a lot of people will be turned away from the price that we ask. Building the understanding of the sustainability aspect to our business will help consumers become more comfortable with spending that amount of money, as it helps us continue to prioritize the farm to cup value that we've held from the start." From observing the Afficionado team firsthand, it's clear they're paving the way of sustainable brands in (and beyond) the New Jersey market. But above all, their goal is to start a global conversation, one that addresses the dignity of the environment and our fellow human beings. By doing so, they share that the notion of good coffee means more than the way it tastes, and that with the right amount of hard work and dedication, nearly anything can be used as the vehicle by which we embrace our passions. " V U E N J . C O M 124

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