Making a difference in the developing world
Matthew Algie has developed their brand on ethical principles. This is not only good for business but for the communities across the world that supply their coffee. Working in partnership with farmers in the developing world, Matthew Algie helps
them to diversify into areas that will see a return and ultimately have a positive impact on their livelihood.
- Approximately 85 per cent of the coffee Matthew
Algie purchases is Fairtrade and Organic certified.
- The majority is sourced from Peru, Honduras,
Ethiopia and Sumatra.
- The Glasgow based company has been sourcing
Fairtrade coffee from Oromia Coffee Farmers
Co-operative Union (OCFCU) in Ethiopia since 2002.
- Oromia comprises around 190 community
co-operatives with a total of approximately 200,000
members and Matthew Algie has already witnessed
significant positive impact on livelihoods.
As the UK's leading independent roaster, Matthew Algie has been committed to
Fairtrade for nearly
15 years, launching the UK's first Fairtrade espresso coffee with supply to the
House of Commons
in 1997. With Fairtrade now around 85 per cent of its volume, the company has
grown its certified
coffee sales every year since launch.
The coffee Matthew Algie buys from Ethiopia generates
approximately £90,000 in Fairtrade Organic premium
receipts. With these funds co-operatives and their members
are more easily able to invest in livelihood improvements
related to health, education, clean water supply and
infrastructure.
Indeed, in 2011, with Fairtrade funds, Oromia
built its own mill to process coffee, giving them more
control over product quality and helping generate income
by moving further up the value chain. In addition Matthew
Algie provided financial support to assist Oromia obtain
Rainforest Alliance certification in 2011.
Providing stability to the farmers who supply them is
important to Matthew Algie and they have a history of
continuous trading with suppliers who meet their quality
standards. This has allowed them to build valuable partnerships with
smallholder
co-operatives around the
world. This gives the farmers control of their exports and
returns even more of the value chain back to them.
Matthew Algie is a strong advocate of Fairtrade as it
guarantees a minimum price and, therefore, a fair return to
coffee farmers and other developing farmer organisations in
Ethiopia. It is also the only independent mark that offers a
guarantee to consumers about the prices paid to the
co-operatives who grew the coffee.
As a display of their commitment, Matthew Algie has
worked with major customers to persuade them to switch
to Fairtrade, and continue to encourage customers to add
Fairtrade coffee to their menus.
Next steps
Matthew Algie remain committed to continue to source from Oromia and other
Ethiopian Fairtrade co-operatives and to help them find new markets.
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