The coffee market has worked towards removing from producers any control over the prices that they receive for their coffee. They sell their produce into the bulk commodity market and receive a price that is largely determined by half a dozen major corporations. This price has often fallen below the cost of production and leads to a cycle of impoverishment of the grower and no incentive to produce good quality coffee.

The contribution of Green Coffee towards breaking this cycle is based first and foremost on offering coffees of a known provenance and character. Each of our coffees has its own distinct attributes and, by purchasing the varieties that most suit your preferences, you are rewarding the producers of those coffees and endorsing their approach towards quality. This closer link with the consumers of quality coffee starts to return pricing power to the producer and thus provide the key element of sustainability.

This approach is often set within a framework of one of the range of certification schemes and relationship-building programmes which all have their own criteria. The most widely recognised are the Fair Trade mark (for which we are curently applying for accreditation) and Organic certification: others are Rainforest Alliance, Cup Of Excellence and a range of relationship programmes and co-operative groups. We have set out below the web links which will lead you to a fuller explanation of their respective programmes.

These programmes are not in themselves an assurance of high quality coffee. Our overarching objective is therefore to work with coffee shippers who can provide us with coffee that is directly sourced, where the price paid is no less than the Fair Trade price and the production encompasses wider ethical criteria. We let you know where a formal certification scheme covers the production and also any other background information that we have about the producer.

Developing an interest in speciality coffee helps to break the cycle of bulk production. It gives the consumer a common interest with those producers who receive sustainable prices in exchange for their quality coffees. This will not overnight change the face of a large and complex market but it does help growers to help themselves out of the cycle of unprofitable production.

Green Coffee looks forward to providing you with beans which meet these criteria and which, after roasting at home in the i-Roast, will provide coffee that tastes good and feels right.