It's good to talk, especially over coffee. Sign up to our newsletter and expect to see something delicious in your inbox. As an artisan speciality coffee roaster, primarily we seek very high-quality coffee from reliable and consistent producers sourced according to our code of conduct for ethical sourcing. This encompasses working conditions that achieve International Labour Organization standards and evidence that environmental pollution on the farm is minimized.
In return, the farmers who produce our green coffee need regular and reliable orders and prompt payment for their coffee. The Fairtrade programme definitely set the tone for socially sustainable coffee.
The theory behind Fairtrade is that producers are provided with a safety net, a guaranteed minimum price for their coffee. The one thing that is never really mentioned by Fairtrade is quality, which is completely at odds with what the discerning coffee drinker wants — a great tasting cup. Crucially, the model recognizes quality as the key to commercial success and we inspire farmers to focus on increasing quality for a better price, not quantity for a minimum price.
World markets will always limit positive social impact from a coffee value-chain that is founded on the basis of Fairtrade certification. Union is a roaster and importer and we paid at least double the Fairtrade base during as the farm gate price to producers. For some of our coffees we pay prices achieving ten times above the Fairtrade price. If it tastes delicious, we want that coffee. In consuming countries, Fairtrade justifies a minimum price standard by persuading consumers that they are helping poor producers.
This is achieved through marketing campaigns which requires significant investment. We believe that a more sustainable approach, which benefits both the coffee farmer and coffee drinker, would be to develop a model based on quality, accessible to all farmers and not limited to the Fairtrade model which only operates with Co-operatives. Such an approach would encourage innovation, growth and economic progress by rewarding excellence.
