Last year, we offered something unusual for Black Friday: instead of discounts, customers could pay double for their coffee. The goal was simple – to create awareness around how undervalued coffee often is on the global market and to generate additional support for projects at origin. This year, we’re still not offering any Black Friday discounts. Why not? And how can you support our cause all year round?
Here's why:
Coffee producers work extremely hard – from planting, to cultivating, to harvesting and processing. In the conventional (non specialty, commercial) coffee market, they are subjected to the fluctuating global market price. The «c-market» price as well as the coffee price on the specialty market has fluctuated greatly recently and even when it is high, that doesn't necessarily mean that coffee producers actually receive higher pays. The generally low coffee prices make it difficult for many producers to cover their costs and rise above the poverty line.
Discounts in this environment can send the wrong message: that coffee should be cheaper, when in reality it’s often already priced below its true value.
So what happens this weekend?
Nothing special. No sales, no bundles, no countdowns. Our prices stay exactly as they are.
A quick reminder: our support fund
Instead of promoting short-term discounts, we focus on long-term support. Every year, at least 1% of our coffee sales goes back to coffee-growing communities. We use this pot to support:
- Direct price premiums: most recently e.g. for T'xayalaj in Guatemala
- Education and future projects: such as Gente del Futuro in Kenya or Bean Voyage
- Equal opportunities: A few weeks ago, Maricela Esperon, producer of our coffee Maricela, joined the Women Powered Coffee Summit in Chiapas, organised by Bean Voyage. Thanks to our support fund, we were able to sponsor her participation so she could be part of this one-of-a-kind event that connects women across the coffee value chain in a safe, inclusive space.
Support our cause year round
You have the option to leave a voluntary contribution with every purchase in our online store – independently of Black Friday. The donated amount goes entirely to the growing countries. Part of the money collected goes directly to the producers who produce our coffees. The other part supports sustainable and charitable initiatives in the communities where coffee is grown.