The global coffee industry is in crisis. Although world consumption is growing, and the value of coffee traded is increasing, many of the world’s 25 million coffee growers face increasing hardships. Their net income from coffee – their main source of income – is not sufficient to cover their costs of sustainable production. For example, many coffee farmers have aging tree stocks that they cannot afford to replace due to a lack of money. Many coffee farmers still do not have access to basic health care, education for their children, or adequate nutrition for their families. This situation is not sustainable for the coffee industry in the long term.
- How does Trade Aid’s coffee program work, and what difference does it make to coffee growers?
Based on more than 40 years of experience supporting sustainable rural development through trade, we work directly with effectively-run co-operatives of small-scale coffee producers. By building long-term trading partnerships with these co-operatives, we can be most effective at supporting small coffee producers to continually improve the quality and the quantity of coffee they can produce, and in doing so to improve their incomes.
Since establishing our green coffee programme, we have supported coffee producers with several million dollars’ worth of additional revenue and have participated in the growth of a fair trading system that is proven to have a good effect on the wellbeing and livelihoods of many thousands of coffee producers throughout the developing world.
As part of our commitment to sustainable production, Trade Aid is also committed to helping farmers protect their natural environments and we specialise in importing certified organic coffees that are grown under existing forest canopy.