Torch Coffee’s origin-first modelFounded in 2014 in Pu’er by Marty Pollack (马丁), Torch Coffee partners with farmers as co-creators rather than aid recipients. Most of Torch’s resources go upstream—cultivation, processing, green-bean trade, roasting, and professional training—while retail plays a smaller role. The goal: strengthen quality where it begins, then connect that value directly to the market so farmers have a business incentive to keep improving. Over the past decade, Torch has built deep relationships in Yunnan and carried its collaboration-based model to origins like Guatemala and Kenya.

Marty Pollack: educator, mentor, bridge-builderA pioneering Q- and R-Grader mentor in China, Marty moved to Pu’er in 2014. By 2015, Torch Coffee Lab was formally registered in Simao District. With hands-on fieldwork and extensive mentoring credentials, Marty and his team focused intensely on fresh-fruit processing—experimenting, documenting, and sharing best practices. Their ambition is simple and bold: close the gap between Yunnan’s producers and consumers so more people can enjoy a quality cup of Yunnan coffee.

The Mountain Man Plan (2017– )To solve the disconnect between farm and cup, Torch launched the Mountain Man Plan—bringing baristas, roasters, and sensory professionals to live and work alongside farmers during harvest. Urban sensory skills (calibration, record-keeping, brewing) meet farmers’ agronomic expertise (variety, picking, fermentation), creating a “1 + 1 > 2” effect on quality. Over time, the program expanded from estate-level collaborations to village-level projects, adding farmer brewing competitions and standardized training so producers can eventually build their own brands and sales channels.

From training to tangible infrastructure: Aulai as proof of conceptAulai embodies the Plan’s core idea: education must lead to access. By pairing farmer training with a cutting-edge washing station, local producers now have:

• Advanced machinery & technology for consistent pulping, grading, and drying

• Eco-friendly water management that mitigates processing pollution

• Standardized fermentation protocols for repeatable flavor outcomes

• Open access so smallholders can process cherries to specialty standards

Education, product development & market connectionTorch converts origin improvements into market recognition. Educational tracks (such as standardized processing courses) and curated product releases showcase producer lots under estate names. City cupping tours and buyer linkages help cafés and roasters quickly find Yunnan profiles that match their needs, while projects like flavor mapping make regional differences legible to consumers.

Collaboration platforms that scaleTorch’s Yunnan Lab in Pu’er provides free cupping, technical feedback, and pricing guidance; blind cuppings connect promising farmers with domestic and international buyers. As quality rises, Torch’s model replicates across origins, while remaining deeply rooted in Yunnan.