NEXTY Award winner Wize Monkey is creating a market for a commodity that was typically considered a waste product of coffee production.
It’s not exactly coffee and it’s not exactly tea. Wize Monkey’s coffee leaf tea is made from coffee plant leaves that are steeped like tea for a smooth and unique warm beverage experience that has piqued the interest of coffee and tea drinkers alike. The leaves of the coffee plant are typically discarded, but by creating a use for them, Wize Monkey is generating year-round employment for coffee farmers, reducing seasonal migration for work and mitigating hunger for their families. The company’s end goal is to boost the GDP of coffee-producing countries with this innovative gourmet beverage.
Here, cofounder Max Rivest explains the history of coffee leaf tea and the socioeconomic benefits the company hopes to bring to its farmer communities.
