At Brewdoo, we believe in sustainability. We spent months trialling and testing coffee blends to find the tastiest brew for our customers; however, it was just as important to us that our coffee was grown and produced in a fair and sustainable way.
That’s why 100% of our coffee beans come from Rainforest Alliance growers. In very basic terms, this means that our coffee is grown and farmed according to the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. And with sustainability becoming a priority for many customers, this means that Brewdoo coffee will be favoured by consumers – both because of its taste and its sustainability standards.
What is the Rainforest Alliance?
The Rainforest Alliance is a global non-profit organisation that is committed to protecting forests, improving the livelihoods of farmers and forest communities, promoting their human rights, and helping them mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. In short, the organisation aims to make responsible business the new normal.
Want to know more? Here are some of the ways in which the Rainforest Alliance promotes sustainable and responsible coffee production – and why Brewdoo is so proud to be a part of this wonderful initiative.
Human rights
According to the Alliance, significant progress has been made on human rights in agriculture, but there are still instances of child labour, forced labour, discrimination and harassment to be found. The Alliance has adopted a risk-based assess-and-address approach that emphasises prevention, awareness and continuous improvement.
Climate
Climate change is a problem for everyone, but for coffee growers, rising temperatures promote coffee rust, a fungus that has wiped out entire farms in Latin America. Coffee can also only be grown in certain temperatures too. The Alliance helps by promoting climate-smart growing methods, a tailored action plan to help protect crops against the impact of climate change. This could be strategies such as planting native trees for shade, or assessing the “right” time of the year for using pesticides and fertilisers – in the right amounts.
Livelihoods
Coffee prices have been volatile over the last number for years; for instance, in most of 2020, coffee prices were 30% below the average price level of the previous 10 years. This made it difficult for farmers to even cover their production costs – let alone make a profit. The Alliance helps by teaching farmers how to improve their productivity and profitability using more sustainable methods and better farm management.
The Alliance’s certification programme also takes steps to distribute the financial burden along the supply chain, by requiring companies to make sustainability investments to certified farms that support the implementation of more sustainable methods.
Forest protection
The Alliance not only prohibits deforestation, but also the destruction of all ecosystems, including wetlands and peatlands. Farmers must also increase native tree cover. The aim is for farming to add to nature’s richness, rather than harming biodiversity.
At Brewdoo, we firmly believe that excellent coffee shouldn’t cost the earth – or people’s rights and livelihoods – and the trojan work done by the Rainforest Alliance ensures that you can enjoy your Brewdoo coffee in the knowledge that it’s being produced in a sustainable and honourable way.
In addition to working with Rainforest Alliance Certified growers, we also offer fully compostable takeaway cups—locally produced in Ennis, Ireland—and make it our priority to source sustainably where possible.