There is no organic sticker on our bags of coffee, and that is a deliberate choice. Not because we think sustainability does not matter, precisely because we think it matters too much to leave to a label. We believe the question "what actually happens to the soil, the water and the people who grow the beans" says more than the question "does it say organic". So instead of investing in a certification, we would rather invest directly in the practice itself.
What really happens on the plantation
Our coffee is roasted here in Amersfoort. The relationships with the farmers and plantations our beans come from have existed for years, and part of what is turned over there flows back to those same plantations to keep coffee growing viable in the long term. That is not a marketing line, that is how the chain actually works.
Concretely: the Brazilian beans in our coffees are grown with 0.4 litres of water per kilo, against a common norm of around 4 litres. Ten times more frugal, and so considerably more environmentally friendly. On those same plantations there is investment in training young people, so that coffee growing gives them a stable living. And there is active work towards CO₂ neutrality, by planting new coffee plants and by roasting CO₂ neutrally.
Those are not things you can put on a label with one simple logo. But it is where the real difference sits.
Close by stays close by
That the roasting happens here in Amersfoort is no coincidence. We are based here ourselves. Short transport between us and the roastery means less CO₂, and it means we can act quickly when something is needed. It is a small detail, but we think it is one that counts.
Honest about the price
Our coffee costs more than what you find in the supermarket. The honest answer to that: the quality is higher, the flavour is fresher, and part of that price goes back to the people who grow the beans. No certification needed to confirm that for us. Just a chain we dare to be open about, from plantation to cup.
That is sustainability to us: not the label, but the conviction behind it. Want to know more about our story? Read it on the about us page, or look at the Espresso Beans these Brazilian beans go into.