MORE VALUE FOR ALL – FAIR CHAIN

After oil, coffee is the most important trade product in the world. The former colonial product only grows in the so-called coffeebelt, the coffee belt, around the equator. With the process of colonisation, coffee crossed the Atlantic for the first time. It was imported there as an important export product to meet the demand of European coffee consumption. Coffee thus became an important economic base for many countries in Latin America from the 18th century onwards. 

Coffee is one of the most obvious examples of colonisation and illustrates the formation of the strong imbalance between the global South and the global North. Currently, the majority of all coffee beans are processed in the global North. The real added value of coffee comes from the processing and roasting of the coffee beans. 

If roasted and packaged in the country of origin, three times more value remains locally than with other coffees. More value added in the country of origin provides more jobs, education and opportunities. It is a trade model with a fair distribution of returns along the entire production chain. This concept is also known as Fair Chain. Fair Chain is a valuable approach to sustainable local community development and contributes to overcoming the colonial structures of North-South exploitation. In this way, we create more value for all and act at eye level with our partners in Colombia.