Our Point of view

As a direct coffee importer, we believe paying premium prices to producers does not automatically improve the lives of farmworkers, who often remain in extreme poverty.

Across producing countries, farm structures and economic realities vary widely. No certification or one-size-fits-all model has meaningfully solved this problem. Our industry has tried for decades. Real change happens through relationships. It requires engaging directly with farmworkers and investing in their well-being beyond the point of purchase. This “last mile” work — after contracts are signed and coffee is shipped — is where lasting impact is created.

True transparency goes beyond disclosing what producers are paid. It means revealing what farmworkers actually earn and taking responsibility for improving those conditions. “Direct trade” and “responsible sourcing” are empty promises if they stop at the transaction. Without measurable efforts to uplift farmworkers, those claims comfort consumers but fail to build a sustainable coffee future.