Influential coffee
This is the second coffee in our IMPACT series. This coffee is bought from our partners in Honduras - the Cafesmo cooperative. Like all other coffees from the cooperative, it is certified organic and grown with consideration for the nearby nature.
Cafesmo calls the coffee Los Cipreses after the many cypress trees in the forests around the farm, and we are very impressed by the quality and taste of the beans. It is sweet and balanced with notes of chocolate and honey.
Look forward to tasting this coffee and please share your experiences with us.
New shade trees and greater volume
With the new crop of IMPACT No. 02, we can make a direct difference for an even larger part of the Cafesmo cooperative, because for the first time we have imported an entire container. With the increased volume, we can support more than 80 small coffee farmers at the same time, all of whom have contributed to IMPACT No. 02.
Furthermore, IMPACT No. 02 is now part of a new project in collaboration with Cafesmo. Here we donate an amount per kilos of coffee sold directly to the cooperative, which goes to the planting of shade trees, which contribute to biodiversity and wildlife. When we sell 1kg. IMPACT No. 02, 1 shade tree will be planted in Honduras. Thus, the cooperative can continue to expand their area of agroforestry and at the same time produce coffee of the highest quality.
Meet 60-year-old Tomassa
One of the farmers who contributed to IMPACT No. 02, is 60-year-old Tomassa Ramirez with her 1.4 hectares, which mainly consists of steep hilly landscape. Tomassa Ramirez employs four family members for picking, while she does everything else herself. Every day (except Sunday) she walks an hour and a half from home to her coffee plants, works eight hours, and then an hour and a half back home - and she has done so for 50 years. Tomassa Ramirez is passionate about both having a positive impact on nature and how she can improve and optimize her production. She gets help with this as part of the Cafesmo cooperative, and Tomassa Ramirez is therefore an excellent example of the help and support you recieve as part of the Cafesmo cooperative.
In balance with nature
The Cafesmo cooperative is made up of dedicated coffee farmers led by Hidardo Hernandez. They care about their yield and quality but also biodiversity, soil impact, water quality and their balance with nature. Cafesmo is 100% EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) compliant, which means the cooperative has committed to not participate in deforestation and being able to provide documentation to support this. Cafesmo has a strong focus on planting shade trees to contribute to biodiversity as well as all the other benefits that come with agroforestry.
Furthermore, the cooperative is Bird friendly certified, which is a certification by the Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute to ensure that coffee is not produced in such a way that harms biodiversity and wildlife. With the Bird Friendly certification, Cafesmo has committed to complying with a number of strict criteria regarding e.g. proportion of shade trees, tree height and biodiversity - all important factors in preserving the birds' natural habitat.
The Cafesmo cooperative is 100% certified organic, which is worth applauding. An organic certification is a significant administrative and financial burden for the coffee farms. In this case, It is possible because the cooperative stands together stronger against risks such as diseases in the plants, a failed harvest or economic fluctuations. The demand for organic coffee from importers and roasters is increasing. However, we see a pattern in the coffee industry where importers and roasters unfortunately are not willing to pay extra for the certification. The result is that less than 50% of certified organic coffee is not being sold as certified, and the coffee farmer is being put in a position where an organic certification is associated with large costs and risks. Read more about the problem here.
Why is the additional payment essential?
Honduras is one of the poorest countries in South and Central America, with more than 1 in 5 people in rural areas live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1.9 a day. Therefore, the government of Honduras has tried to alleviate poverty by raising the minimum wage. However, this has made it difficult for companies and farmers to supply their products at a competitive price. The result is that there is a very large number of workers who do not have an official contract or are working under poor conditions. It is in these situations that cooperation, community and cooperatives are so important.
Unfortunately, a significant proportion of Honduras' GDP comes from money sent home from the United States in particular. As an illegal immigrant in the USA, you can earn 3-4 times as much as an average coffee farmer in Honduras. This is another reason why the additional payment to the coffee farmer is so important.
We have paid the cooperative $6.50/kg for this coffee (FOB). The market price at the time of the contract was $4.47/kg. In this case, we have paid 45% above the market price for the coffee.
