Cafédirect was born during a crisis, when in 1989 an international coffee agreement which had fixed global prices according to the cost of production, collapsed. Middlemen swooped in to buy up the coffee and the lives of millions of smallholder farmers around the world was in jeopardy as they were left with no choice, but to sell their harvests at rock bottom prices.
In response, three coffee growing communities – in Peru, Costa Rica and Mexico – each shipped a single container of coffee, loaned on trust, to the UK. The beans were roasted and sold through church halls, charity shops and at local events.
Cafédirect was created.
A pioneering company, it was three years later that the Fairtrade Foundation mark was launched and we were the first coffee brand in the UK to carry the mark.
Still today, we are innovating business by going beyond sustainability to prove that business can be a force for good and ensuring our actions have a positive impact for people and planet.