How Ringwood's SAAZAA Coffee is roasting ethically and sustainably

About 12 million kilos of coffee beans are imported into Australia every year. Ringwood’s SAAZAA Coffee is among the buyers, and aims to purchase coffee beans from ethical Kenyan sources. 

The cafe and coffee roaster — tucked away in Ringwood’s Olive Grove — is owned by logistics professional David Juma, and inspired by his Kenyan heritage. 

After meeting his wife, who grew up in the Ringwood area, David is now well and truly a local.

“I come from a farming background in Kenya,” he told the Eastern Melburnian. “My father grows sugar cane, coffee and tea.”

SAAZAA Coffee pays tribute to the Maasai warrior.

“Saazaa is Swahili for 'time for', so the name means ‘time for coffee’,” David said.

He said the Maasai warriors are “known to be courageous, and to be adventurous at the same time”.

Aware of unsustainable coffee farming practices, and underpaid growers, David was motivated to do it differently. 

“We started the business so we could control the quality from the ground up, which helps us to control the consistency and quality,” he said. “The farmers also determine the quality of the beans. If farmers are not being paid right, you are not going to get the good quality.”

Coffee beans are sourced from Mt Kenya, other parts of Kenya and other countries.

“Being a roaster in Australia, it is hard to go to the level of small farmers,” David said.

“They come together as a collective in a cooperative with one representative. When you go to source coffee, you pay the representative.”

When SAAZAA Coffee deals with farmers directly, it helps the coffee industry become more sustainable, and farmers and their communities also benefit.

“Because the corruption is at really high levels, the money does not get back to the farmers,” David said.

“We get to pay the farmers directly and pay what is fair.

“We are planning to go back to Kenya and build schools.”

David said that while Australians were good at making coffee, they often didn’t know the background of the beans.

“When you buy your coffee, you should make sure it’s ethically sourced,” he said.

“If you want to support the coffee industry, make sure the farmers are getting paid correctly.”

The raw coffee beans are roasted using an Australian-made coffee roaster, then packed onsite before being sold and used in the café.

Other coffee-based products including scrubs, candles and gift packs are also available.

Visitors can attend tasting events.