Coffee People: Viviana Andrea Martínez Victoria

Coffee people.
The Better Coffee Standard defines it precisely: everyone whose life and work are bound to coffee, at every stage of the coffee circle — including those working under coercion, economic dependency, or without pay. Their families. Those who keep them standing.

The industry never stops talking about coffee. It rarely stops to talk about the people behind it. Red Ink Coffee exists, in part, to change that.

Coffee People is a series of portraits. Four questions — their voices.

Who are you and what do you do in coffee?

I'm a third-generation coffee producer, carrying on my grandfather's legacy and a long family tradition in coffee farming. I'm an entrepreneur in the world of specialty coffee, focusing on differentiated coffee processes — natural and co-fermented honey processes among them. My goal is to add greater value to coffee production and processing. My coffee is enjoyed today in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the United States, Argentina, and Panama.

Tell us about a moment in your work with coffee that you're genuinely proud of.

The day I first saw the expression on my customers' faces when they tasted my first differentiated coffee lot was unforgettable. That look of satisfaction is something I can never erase from my mind or my heart — I absolutely loved it.

What's one problem you see in your part of the coffee world — and why does it matter to you personally?

One of the biggest challenges we face is the high logistics and transportation costs associated with specialty coffee micro-lots. These costs significantly increase the final price for customers, creating a barrier to market entry. It matters to me because I believe exceptional coffee — grown with care, processed with intention — should be able to reach the people who value it, without being priced out before it even arrives.

What would you change if you could — and what would better look like for you?

The journey of my life as a coffee producer has taken time. Producing and processing an outstanding cup of coffee requires experience and patience — qualities that only the years can provide. Better would mean a world where that experience and patience are rewarded: where the costs of bringing a micro-lot to market don't erase the value created at origin, and where small producers can reach global buyers without the infrastructure working against them. Today, I feel happy and at my very best. But the system still has a long way to go.

You are coffee people. Tell us.

Four questions. Any language. Any format.

1. Who are you and what do you do in coffee?
2. A moment you're genuinely proud of.
3. One problem in your part of the coffee world — and why it matters to you.
4. What would you change — and what would better look like?

Include a short bio and a photo from your work environment. Send your answers to redinkcoffee@thebettercoffee.org