The 18th century French philosopher Voltaire used to drink up to 50 cups of coffee a day, but so much coffee is not our cup of tea.

Those are our six Cs to make sure we C off any unfairness.

It is one of our online missions (or e-missions) to stop emissions. And offline passions to think globally while acting locally in ensuring our carbon footprint walks the talk of reduced greenhouse gases in the context of global warming and global dimming.

Oh yes, this more than fair-weather friendship with coffee will lead to more stable coffee prices which reflect access to healthcare, education, jobs, food, housing and other basic necessities for coffee producers as part of the sugar, spice and all things nice in your “cuppa coffee”.

In the past…

The 18th century French philosopher Voltaire used to drink up to 50 cups of coffee a day, but so much coffee is not our cup of tea.

We prefer the positive things coffee can do for you just by drinking at least three cups a day.

Apart from the best things coming in threes (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit), God is in the details of how coffee improves energy levels, helps burn body fat, lowers the risk of Type Two diabetes while helping you get every moment of every week with that Hakuna Matata smile.

What is fairness and sustainability in regard to coffee?

“Fairness” is about the three Es: Environment, Empathy and Ever heard of “fair trade”?

Fair trade supports an improved livelihood for farming families through coffee prices which make more sense than cents.

Also, fair trade fosters better community development as a result of a realistic approach to a shared environmental responsibility. It is all about equality upholding humans, as well as their humanity.

If this sounds preachy, well, it’s because the gospels of equality and equity are what will put a stop to the unholy exploitation of the farmer. And promote transparency and accountability towards long-term contracts with international buyers of our coffee which come with a victory dance for coffee growers in the global marketplace.

The cardinal goal of fairness is ensuring coffee growers enjoy a golden harvest, on a level playing field, in the value chain from crop to cup.

This chain must be as Robusta, oops, we mean as robust as the sturdy slopes of the Ruwenzori and as wild and free as our coffee.

Sustainability:

This involves the three P’s.

No, we aren’t talking about three generous servings of Pie.

Although, come to think of it, Pie goes well with coffee too.

Instead, we are talking about people, planet, and profit.

People:

When it comes to People, the prime concern is how coffee farmers are benefiting from the coffee industry after value addition.

Are the big coffee companies helping the farmers improve their standards of living.?

Coffee companies, it’s true, are starting to fashion empowerment models which lift farming families above the ruins of poverty.

Planet:

It belongs to us all, as well as future generations. So we owe it to ourselves to convince coffee farmers to practice agro-forestry, afforestation and reforestation without reducing the yield of coffee.

Again, eco-friendly fertilizers must be deployed like chess pieces in a Game of Thrones in which the customer is king, because Mother Earth is royalty.

Profit:

They say money makes the world go round, the coffee industry says farmers must be paid a fair price for their coffee. So that the money that comes around, gets around to improving lives and livelihoods.

The million dollar question will always be: how much profit is going back to the country of origin where the coffee is grown after value addition?

And does it benefit the growth of that country’s Gross Domestic Product?

If the answer is yes, then the coffee industry will thrive.

Why sustainability and fairness are important. :

Uganda is a coffee-producing country producing both Arabica and Robusta, which has recently increased by 3.2% to 72.82 million bags. Yet Uganda is still experiencing extreme poverty and lacks effective social infrastructure, meaning that we have taken several steps forward: in backward motion!
Coffee has come a long way, baby. Oh yes, it has moved from being classified in the same bracket with banned substances to being consumed daily (approximately 400 billion cups consumed yearly) as an economic mainstay for working class individuals. I mean, if it wasn’t for coffee; I wouldn’t be smiling while typing these caffeinated words.
Coffee has become a source of livelihood for various people in the world. From farmers to the people involved with the bigger companies after value addition. You have seen all our delighted Wild farmers as proof of that pudding.
81% of consumers wrongly feel that companies should help improve the environment. Now that’s a number that’s not that surprising. Over the past couple of years we’ve seen a shift in coffee brands moving towards a more sustainable future, whether it’s through the materials they use, the packaging, their systems, or something else with respect to the same.