What do we mean when we say sustainably sourced coffee? Sustainability is a word that is thrown around broadly and in our opinion, doesn’t instill much meaning without truth and substance behind it. As a result, we would like to tell you a little more about why we say sustainably sourced coffee and what this means from a sourcing perspective.
Producing great coffee beverages shouldn't cost the earth. The climate change threat facing specialty coffee is very real. We take steps within our business to ensure that we minimise our footprint on the planet and look after the people who bring us the most important ingredient to our drinks.
In order for us to be sustainable we need to ensure that our coffee is paid for in a way that empowers the farmers and their businesses to learn to make their crops more sustainable too. With Rainforest Alliance certified coffee, you are also ensuring that funds are invested in the health of the community, which includes improving the infrastructure of schools and other biodiversity conservation efforts.
There is one thing clear, if we don’t ensure the sustainability of where our coffee comes from, then our business does not have a future, and the health and wellbeing of the farmers and their families is imperative to this idea of sustainability.
Specialty coffee is the highest graded coffee available. It exists because of dedicated people who ensure it is grown at the perfect altitude, at the perfect time of year, in the best soil, and picked at the perfect time. It is the result of hard work and dedication and so growers should and need to be paid well for this.
Working in partnership with our coffee roaster (Rumble Coffee Roasters) we pay growers well above fair trade price, and the commodity price. This higher price supports fair wages and the families and communities involved.
Like any business innovation plays a key role in its success. Ensuring that the producers of our coffee are paid well gives them the opportunity to invest in their farms, technology and new varieties; this in turn results in great coffee that is both exciting and delicious.
Specialty coffee is coffee that has achieved a score of 80% or higher out of 100 on a standardised score sheet by a panel of expert coffee tasters. Only 10% of all coffee produced reaches specialty grade. So when we say ‘special’ we really mean it! This coffee deserves the extra love and attention. So when it reaches us we treat it with the utmost respect using our signature cold drip extraction.
Sustainability is a broad term so we felt it important to define what it means to us and the way we do business. We hope you love our coffee as much as we love creating it.
