Over two decades ago, following a collapse in world coffee prices that had severe consequences for small farmers, three coffee growing communities from Peru, Costa Rica and Mexico each shipped a single container of coffee, loaned on trust, to the UK. The beans were roasted and sold through church halls, charity shops and at local events, with the revenues sent back to the producers. So Cafédirect was created, to be the farmers’ brand in the UK.
Three years later, the FAIRTRADE Mark was launched in the UK and Cafédirect was the first coffee brand in the UK to carry the logo on its products. Since then, it has built a unique business model centred on its direct relationships with producers and the principles of shared wellbeing. Cafédirect is always striving to go above and beyond the minimum standards that are set by Fairtrade, to build an exemplary supply chain. Finding like-minded partners is as challenging as it is rewarding, and for Cafédirect it’s important to work with pioneering producer organisations, to help them flourish and inspire ethical ways of doing business.
One such cooperative is COSURCA (Cooperativa del Sur de Cauca), from which Cafédirect sources its Colombian coffee. Located in South Cauca, one of the best coffee growing regions in the world, COSURCA is the trailblazer of independent cooperatives in Colombia.
It was formed in 1993 with funding from the UN, which was provided to support the growing of alternative crops to coca and provide a sustainable, legal and peaceful income for rural families in the area. Coffee has been grown in the region for decades and has been a relatively stable source of income for hundreds of rural communities. Smallholder producers also plant fruit and vegetables on their land, keep chickens and farm trout. But coffee is cultivated and sold as the source of income, and the altitude, rich soil and skill of the farmers make for world-renowned coffees. Twenty-one years after the organisation was founded, thousands of farmers now rely on COSURCA for their livelihoods.
Cafédirect’s head of supply and procurement, Violeta Stevens and procurement manager, Joanna Lawson travelled to the co-op last year, in what was a very inspiring and eye-opening visit. They met the team and their general manager, who had led the cooperative through the turbulent waters of political corruption and armed conflict.
They learned that Colombia’s coffee system is complicated. In short, it is a question of liberty: the coffee industry is controlled by the National Federation of Coffee (FNC) – a monopoly outside of which there seemed little alternative. In this landscape, a cooperative of smallholder farmers, independently organised and selling direct to customers, is something very difficult to set up and maintain. From garnering international support to enable them to obtain their own export licence, to relocating after government closures of their facilities, and supporting farmers whose entire crop had been eradicated after US pesticide plane fly-bys, there have been many challenges.
Despite everything, the team at COSURCA has been very successful at growing the organisation and diversifying its activities. Having recently expanded into roast and ground coffee for local consumption, their plant is also now processing fresh juices, adding extra value to the natural bounty of the farmers’ lands.
They have also established EXPOCOSURCA, an export agency which allows them to build their own relationships with international buyers and export their coffee directly. No extra charges, no incomprehension of prices, no corruption.
As a democratic organisation of smallholder farmers, COSURCA has been Fairtrade certified since 2001. Coffee is bought from farmers at the going rate that is set daily by the FNC, with a second payment being made at the end of the season, to account for the extra that is earned by selling the coffee at a higher price on the international market and with a Fairtrade Premium. All farmers vote on strategic decisions, social programmes are introduced, workshops are organised and young farmers receive education and the support they need to thrive.
Cafédirect feels that it’s paramount that ethical brands encourage organisations like COSURCA. Cafédirect has been buying coffee from the cooperative for two years and plan to continue doing so. Joanna Lawson highlights, “Support would be the wrong word – it’s a business relationship - but we need to tell people about what they are doing, we need to educate people about why they should choose this coffee over another, so we can buy more from them, and they can do more as a result.”
Lawson adds: “It’s fantastic coffee, better than most on the high street. And every farmer that has grown it is choosing to do so against more lucrative illegal options, often against (armed) pressure. As long as we can find a market for it, we will continue to buy this coffee, and seek means to facilitate further growth and success for the organisation.”
Content on this page is paid for and provided by Fairtrade Foundation, sponsor of the supply chain hub
