Himalayan Coffee Importers was born from the idea that coffee is connection - connection to our cultural roots, our environment, our community, and most importantly to the world at large. As one of the exclusive distributors for Himalayan coffee from the high peaks of Nepal, we are also deeply connected to the mountains.
For us, coffee with a cause is not about buzzwords or flashy trends. When we began the search for social, environmental, and economic issues we could positively impact through our coffee, the standard was simple - it had to matter to us first.
Mount Everest: A Diamond and a Lump of Coal
It’s no secret that Mount Everest is one of the world’s most sought after summits. This highest peak in the world has attracted legends as big as Sir Edmund Hilary and Conrad Anker while holding a special mystique with stories like the infamous cave where Green Boots lay.
This notoriety has done wonders for Nepal’s economy, driving a regular stream of economic opportunity through alpine tourism. Climbers from near and far spend tens of thousands of dollars on gear and tours guided by sherpas to summit the natural wonder, only to leave trails of trash behind.
Nepal and the alpine climbing community have been forced to reconcile a hard truth about Mount Everest - that adventure tourism has created an environmental dilemma where income and environmental degradation are inseparable. Mt. Everest has become known as "the world's highest garbage dump." This reality is especially troubling in light of the fact that Chomolungma (Mother Goddess of the World) is also considered sacred to many indigenous groups in Nepal.
But We Can Still Polish it to Shine
We don’t believe it always has to be this way. The coffee we proudly source from Nepal is watered with snowmelt directly from the vast Himalayan mountain range.
We’ve been fortunate to travel to Nepal and the Himalayas to observe their pristine beauty first hand. We’ve met with people whose livelihood depends directly on the health of Mount Everest and the surrounding environment. And we have seen how taking this wonder for granted can impact everyone that relies on it and the environmental health of the entire planet. We are all connected.
Contributing a portion of each coffee bag sold to Mount Everest clean-up efforts is less about championing a cause and more about practicing what we preach. Great coffee is grown when its surrounding environment is cared for. Great economic opportunity comes from Mount Everest but only when it is cared for.
We’re proud to support and directly fund, with a part of your purchase, clean-up efforts on Mount Everest and hope you continue to join us on the journey toward brewing up a coffee that’s better for all involved.