First of all, what even is “socially responsible” coffee? Every coffee is socially responsible insomuch as it keeps (most of) us sane. But real socially responsible coffee does so much more than just mitigate an increase in homicides. Here’s what “socially responsible” really means.
Generally speaking, social responsibility is the belief that people or businesses should adopt an ethical and sensitive approach to those who may be affected by cultural, economic or environmental issues.
For Caffeine and Kilos, that means in order for our coffee to be socially responsible, each bean we use needs to give back to the community from which it came. And that's exactly what we do: we are responsible for supporting small or remote farming communities around the world to ensure they feel secure and can continue operating. Every Caffeine and Kilos coffee bean is farmed from small, local coffee farms in their respective regions. Several of the beans in our blends come from local coffee cooperatives, which provide stable management structures for farmers working micro lots that may otherwise be unable to sell their beans. This helps the small farms increase their yield, make more money, and find new revenue streams.
Not only that, but for these farmers our support also ensures they can operate in the most organic, environmentally friendly methods possible. We all know that’s not always the cheapest way to go, but it is the best way to be, both for the environment and the health of the people at work (not to mention your health!).
Beyond sourcing our beans from local coffee farms and collectives, we also exclusively stock Fair Trade beans. This means that guaranteed, at least 25% of what we pay for our coffee goes directly to the farmers so they can invest in their own crop and improve its quality. Wins all around.
So, how can you in turn help support these farms and make socially responsible decisions? Well, when you drink Caffeine and Kilos coffee you actively choose to participate in the support of these local coffee farms, often family owned and operated. By supporting us, you support them. That’s your social responsibility at work.
We strongly believe if a company can’t tell you where its coffee comes from, it either can't or doesn’t want to—and not for any good reasons. That said and in the spirit of transparency, here are a few of our favorite go-to coffee collectives and some notes on neat causes they support:
- The Worka collective in the Gedeb region of Ethiopia: In this collective, there are 148 farms, averaging about 2 acres each, and over half of them are owned and operated by women. So when you support us, you support them.
- The Centrocafe Centrofrontaresa Cafetalaros in the Kahamarka region: As one of our backbone beans, this collective hosts about 2,000 small farms in the region. AND they supply some of the best quality coffee you'll find in Peru.
- The Siane Organic Agriculture Cooperative (SOAC) in the Chuave district of Chimbu, Papua New Guinea: SOAC accesses the international coffee markets for farmers, creating greater earning capacity from direct trade relationships. SOAC also assists farmers with financing, coffee quality improvement, organic certification, and community-based projects that promote gender equality and education.
And the list goes on. If you have any questions about any of our blends, always feel free to reach out and ask us at info@caffeineandkilos.com. We're an open book. That said, keep on keeping on with your social responsibility and we promise we will, too. Thank you from all of us here at C&K, and from ethical coffee farms around the world, for supporting the Lifestyle, the Movement.