The initiative
Strengthening the value chain Sustainability and equity.
The "Retour à l'origine" initiative is rooted in sustainability and equity. It is a way of strengthening the specialty coffee value chain by giving more back to the producers from whom we buy our coffees. For us, it's a way of making a small difference — contributing, on a small scale, to the empowerment of the producers we work with.
It also reflects our awareness of the inequities that remain in our industry and our refusal to stand idly by in the face of a structure that is still far too unequal. We don't expect to change the world with this project, but rather to show producers that we respect their work and recognize the persistent disparities and daunting challenges that threaten their livelihood every day. We can no longer sit back and wait for things to change: we want to be part of the solution — to be the change. We also hope to inspire our colleagues to make concrete commitments to the producers who make their work possible.
With climate change affecting producers in countless ways, on top of ever-rising production costs, we believe that giving back at the source is what can make a sustainable specialty coffee industry possible.
That's why, for every bag of coffee sold bearing the project's seal, an amount is given directly to the producers, with no intermediary. This money can be reinvested in their business, used to pay down part of their debts, or spent however they see fit. In some cases, it can also directly fund initiatives put forward by the producers themselves.
