Bean there: More than just Mocha

Written by Brendah Nyakudya
Monday, 03 October 2011 16:59

Stepping into the trendy yet non-assuming surrounds of Bean There Coffee Company at the ever-popular 44 Stanley centre in Milpark, an eclectic retail and dining space in Johannesburg, you are immediately enveloped by the unmistakable smell of coffee brewing and beans roasting in a matter-of-factly placed coffee roaster in the middle of the shop.

As you partakes in one of the many indulgent offerings on the menu, including the usual cappuccinos and lattés as well as the lesser-known piccolos, harios, and aeropresses, many thoughts and scenarios come to mind. For many lovers of Java, these thoughts include side-walk cafés and after-dinner conversation. Only for the coffee enthusiasts would the origin and journey of the bean, the environment from whence it came and the hands that planted it, be of interest.

The owners of Bean There are coffee enthusiasts who have thrown themselves into the tradition of coffee with passion that supersedes the norm. When Jonathan Robinson decided to trade in coffee in 2005, it was with an aim to supply coffee of the utmost quality to the South African consumer. With Africa being the birthplace of coffee, it was on our continent that he and his sister Sarah decided to base their operation. After establishing their wholesale business, they opened up the roastery and shop in Milpark in 2008.

They were well aware that this was a continent where poverty is rife and all measures including international aid, structural adjustment and democracy have seemingly failed the masses, so for them it was imperative to implement business practices and principles that would be mutually beneficial to the buyer and the farmer – principles that would be sustainable in the long term. These principles they found in the practice of Fairtrade. Fairtrade is an association whose main objective is to assist producers in developing countries in their efforts to export their wares to developed markets and countries. Fairtrade assists in negotiating better trading terms and conditions and establishes relationships between buyers and sellers that encourage and advances efforts at economic sustainability. The organisation “advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards”. Fairtrade is a trading partnership that is based on dialogue, transparency and respect. It seeks greater equity in international trade and contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to producers and workers.

Having learnt of the success of Fairtrade on South America’s coffee farms, Bean There based their business and dealings with the various coffee growers in Africa on Fairtrade principles and practices; from the beginning, the price of the coffees was guided by quality, not what the global market suggested. Under Fairtrade guidelines all the coffee growers that supplied Bean There would be guaranteed the best price for their produce, with Bean There at times paying higher than the stipulated price, an act that encouraged farmers to grow a premium product in the knowledge they would get a premium price for it.

But Fairtrade isn’t just about trade guidelines. It’s an organisation that promotes relationships. In keeping with this, Bean There have made a concerted effort to enhance their trade relationships by travelling to the various countries across Africa and getting involved in community projects in a bid to support the farmers, their families and communities. This was an opportunity to actively support development, growth, and social empowerment.

The “Hope Project” is one of the most inspirational stories that have come about as a result of fair business. The project, which is based in the Mbeya region of south-west Tanzania, is a clear example of the fairness and ethics required by Fairtrade. Farmers who are part of the cooperative benefit from selling their coffee cherry when it is at its ripest. They receive a second payment at the end of the harvest season that equals any market fluctuations and ensures farmers get what their coffee is worth. The community as a whole also gets a quality-based premium payment. For the Fero Cooperative in Sidamo, Ethiopia, this second payment has ensured progress in the community. Every household in the community now has electricity, and they’ve been able to add classrooms to their local schools. The community is currently working towards infrastructure that will supply drinking water to the residents.

In Rwanda, Bean There has partnered with Coopac, a cooperative of 2 200 Rwandan coffee farmers who, among other initiatives, are investing in women (who own 10 percent of the country’s coffee plantations) in the coffee growing business.

To date Bean There direct Fairtrade practice has seen the growth of many co-ops and projects that have made life-changing differences to people and their communities, and while it is by no means the perfect solution to the woes of Africa, with high registration fees being one of the challenges for emerging farmers, there are many success stories and proof to indicate that it is a definite step in the right direction. A step towards an Africa that produces excellent-quality product, is paid what it’s worth and encourages sustainability.