Paying more for ethical coffee 付高价喝一杯“道德”咖啡_BBC

Paying more for ethical coffee 付高价喝一杯“道德”咖啡

At The Attendant, a cafe in east London, staff attempt to make customers aware of the story of the beans that they are drinking and the impact they are having by choosing to drink ethically. For a start, it can make coffee farmers up to three-and-a-half times better off, according to figures from the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organisation (Wipo). Ryan de Oliveria, The Attendant's co-founder and chief executive, says the extra income allows farmers and their families to have a better quality of life. It also makes investing or reinvesting in their business possible.

Wipo’s figures show smarter processing, branding and marketing make a huge difference to the growers and their communities. Technology now means that the beans can be tracked all the way from the farm to the cup. The research shows that for a pound (454g) of beans going to a supermarket, the export price is $1.45. Most of this goes to the farmer. The price almost doubles when the beans are headed for large western coffee chains. But farmers exporting their beans to artisanal cafes make over $5 per pound. That's because the coffee aficionados who frequent these places are happy to pay more.

It seems that it’s a win-win situation for the farmers, cafes and consumers. So much so that more established coffee businesses are jumping on the band wagon by buying up artisanal rivals who have already embraced this way of doing things. If that’s the case, then the future of coffee production looks a little fairer for all. And that’s something that should get anyone up on the right side of bed.