Brewing a new narrative
A Loganholme business is brewing change by celebrating the connection between Country, community and coffee.
Dhuwa Coffee, which means ‘to feel alive’ in the Bidhjara language, is the first Indigenous-owned coffee brand sold in major supermarkets around Australia.
‘We view our coffee as reconciliation in a cup,’ Adam Williams, a proud Wiradjuri man, says in his role as co-founder of Dhuwa Coffee.
‘We’re doing it our way – we control the entire supply chain and go hard with our artwork that this brand is owned and produced by Indigenous creators.
‘People see our product on the shelves at Woolies or wherever, and it sparks that conversation.’
Although Adam’s goal is to produce the best-tasting brews in the country, it’s about more than just coffee.
The business serves a greater purpose, with each cup of Dhuwa Coffee building on the legacy of coffee farming, while providing employment to Indigenous communities in Australia and beyond.
‘We run this business like the communities we were brought up in – it’s people first, with no closed doors and where everyone is asked for their opinion,’ Adam says.
‘Over time, we stopped going out to community groups to search for Indigenous employees because people know that we’ve created a culturally safe workplace for Aboriginal candidates.’
Farther from home, Adam spends time throughout the year working with traditional landowners in countries such as Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka, helping farmers with road building projects and sustainable farming practices.
To meet growing demand from international markets including the United States and India, Dhuwa Coffee currently has the capacity to roast 10 tonnes of beans weekly.
These beans also contribute to a number of charities such as Dreaming Futures, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care to improve education and employment outcomes.
Adam, whose vision is to create a more equitable society, says conversation is key to finding pathways towards reconciliation.
‘We have 65,000 years of history that we can all embrace – really just have a listen and make up your own opinion,’ he says.
Photo at top: Dhuwa Coffee co-founder Adam Williams. Photographer: Josh Woning.
