Investment in farmers
As a social enterprise, we exist to benefit the farmers we work with and reinvest our profits for this purpose.
We do this through Producers Direct, an independent sister organisation that we set up in 2009. It’s led by farmers who develop innovative solutions to support farmers with the challenges they face.
Their innovative and award-winning approach is highly successful, and they have improved the livelihoods of over 1.3 million farmers and their families so far.
Over 30 years, we’ve given £7.4m to Producers Direct and producer programmes.
Why farmer investment is essential
Small-scale farmers are vital for us all
Over 80% of the world’s coffee is produced by 25 million small-scale farmers*. These farmers are an entrepreneurial community who are experts in growing coffee, but they often lack the resources needed to thrive. On top of that, climate change is reducing their coffee yields and suitable farming land, leaving an uncertain future for coffee.
Investment in farmers’ businesses means they can better adapt to climate change and adopt practices that preserve and restore the environment.
*Source: Fairtrade Foundation
Better coffee, better lives
The higher the quality of coffee, the higher the price received by the cooperative. This is beneficial to the farmers’ income, which is extremely low and inconsistent for most small-scale coffee farmers. As such, the cooperatives support members to continually improve the quality of the coffee they grow.
The price premiums we pay for coffee support the rigorous testing of new coffee varieties and innovative processing techniques needed to achieve this excellent quality. And thanks to our personal relationships with the cooperatives, they always give us their best coffee.
We are committed to purchase specialty grade Arabica – SCA 80 and above, and pay an additional price for the high quality.
Read our coffee buyer’s blog about his trip visit cooperatives in Peru
Our partners win best coffee in Peru!
Producers Direct
Fairtrade
Organic