We're convinced that Fairtrade and Organic isn't enough, and isn't a sustainable way forward for the people who grow and process coffee at origin. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but stick with me! We’re here to help.
Why do we say this? Because the coffee price that is paid to farmers under these purchasing paradigms often isn't enough to cover the cost of production. That's a big problem. We want coffee to be around for a long time. Farmers deserve better than that!
You see, coffee requires almost endless human intervention before it arrives into our hands to roast. From the seedlings all the way to the drying of the green coffee, each step along the way is critical to success.
Human interventions happen all the time in coffee production, like at this coffee mill we visited last week in Antigua Guatemala. You see, if any step goes wrong, the incredible beverage we enjoy is ruined! A lot of work, skill and know-how goes into every single sip you take.
That's why we go to origin. We are gifted with the incredible opportunity to learn more from the producers about how coffee is grown, harvested and processed, and finally shipped to us to share with you. We have learned about some impressive techniques that far exceed organic growing standards, like the living soil growing techniques employed in Guatemala.
We believe strongly that direct trade can be much better than fair trade. We believe strongly that organic certifications are too expensive and cumbersome even for farmers who are already growing their crops without conventional fertilizers and pesticides.
Even though we may not have fancy logos of certifications on our bags of coffee, you should know a great deal of time, attention, and care went into sourcing each and every one of them for you.
Our focus has always been on paying more to producers and growers at origin. We work with importers who are known to pay top dollar for coffee, and most of the coffee we purchase is sourced as directly as possible from the folks at origin who manage the farms.
Don’t believe us? Let’s get into it.
Check out this study that found coffee growers in Nicaragua became more impoverished when growing Fairtrade and organic certified coffees over their neighbors who did not.
Take a look at this article from The Guardian titled “Why Fairtrade isn’t Enough”. (the author recommends a direct trade model)
Here’s another case study from Mexico and Peru that found Fairtrade was the least effective way to reduce poverty amongst coffee growers. In fact many of the growers studied using Fairtrade and Organic became more poor over time.
Join us on our journey of navigating these waters. We’re fully committed to more direct purchasing relationships, exploring new ways of environmentally friendly farming, and simply paying more for our raw coffee.
We think it’s worth it. We hope you do too.
Happy brewing.
Group Cuppings