The "Back to the Origin" initiative is part of a sustainable development and fairness approach. It aims to strengthen the specialty coffee value chain by giving back more to the producers from whom we buy our coffee. For us, it's a way to make a small difference, to contribute on a small scale to the empowerment of the producers we work with.

It also reflects a growing awareness of the inequities that persist in our industry and our refusal to remain passive in the face of a still far too unequal structure. We don't believe this project will change the world, but rather that it will show producers that we respect their work and recognize the persistent disparities and significant challenges that threaten their livelihoods every day. We can no longer stand idly by and wait for things to change; we want to be part of the solution, to be the change. We also hope to encourage our colleagues to take concrete action to support the producers who enable them to do the work they do.

With climate change and the current pandemic impacting producers in countless ways, in addition to ever-increasing production costs, we believe that giving back to the source is the only way to envision a sustainable specialty coffee industry.

Thus, for every bag of coffee sold, identified by the project's seal, $0.50 will be given directly to the producers, without any intermediaries benefiting. This money can be reinvested in their business, used to pay off some of their debts, or used as they see fit. In some cases, the money may also be used to directly fund initiatives put forward by these producers.