The collapse of the International Coffee Agreement in 1989 sent market prices plunging, putting the lives of millions of smallholder farmers around the world in jeopardy.

In response, three coffee growing communities – in 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.

Cafédirect was born.

Since then we have been pioneers in ethical business. We began trading three years before the Fairtrade Foundation mark was first used in the UK and we were the first coffee brand to carry the mark.

Today we work with 39 grower organisations across 13 developing countries, encompassing over 260,000 farmers and directly improving the lives of more than 1.2 million people.

Cafédirect

Cafédirect is the innovative result of Oxfam, Equal Exchange, Traidcraft, and Twin Trading’s decision to bypass the conventional market and buycoffee direct from disadvantaged growers in developing countries.

Since 2000 alone we have invested more than £3.3 million of our profits directly into the businesses and communities of our growers, and paid morethan £13 million over and above market prices for our raw materials.

Despite climate change having a negative impact on coffee yields, and therefore bean prices, in some corners of the world, Cafédirect is pioneering work to help small farmers adapt to these changes so that delivery into the UK remains unaffected and our prices stay within reach of operators across all channels.

ETHICS

Introduction

Our commitment to ethical trade and environmental issues goes above and beyond Fairtrade standards. We investover half our profits back into growers’ businesses and have pioneered prevention and protection measures to help them combat the effects of climate change. Our work with the Gumutindo Coffee Cooperative has proven the amazing positive impacts ethical trade can have.

Provenance

Our expert growers.

Whether in Africa, Asia or Latin America, all our growers are experts at producing the finest quality organic coffee, tea or cocoa. Continued investment into our growers’ businesses ensures their home and working environment is a happy, safe place where they can thrive and prosper and their skills are nurtured, ready to pass down to the next generation of Cafédirect growers.

Happy producers and flourishing cooperatives deliver great tasting, consistently high quality products direct to our buyers, and that is the Cafédirect definition of true provenance.

Quality

Because we can track our products from the plot where it was grown to the person who roasted and packed it, the quality of our products is always assured. 

All our coffee is wet processed for the best results before being benchmarked by our expert roasters in the UK. Beans are roasted fresh to order, quickly packed for optimum preservation and shipped without delay meaning you receive a superb quality product every time.

Support

Cafédirect offers an exceptional range of exciting and innovative point of sale to customers ranging from posters, table talkers, loyalty cards and branded crockery and takeaway cups.

Peros can provide bespoke marketing boards and bring your coffee shop to life.