Cooperative Coffees - We're different – here are a few of the many ways that we differ from other importers:

• Commitment to place the trading partners, their identity, and their product front and center. We do not hide behind anecdotes of sourcing from secret, mystical mountains – we want people to know the people that grow our coffee.
• Commitment to proactively connect on a personal level. We want relationships to become friendships. We encourage visits/exchanges that cultivate a transparent, personal relationship… with ongoing contact and dialogue.
• Willing to introduce trading partners to other potential fair trade partners in the US and facilitate new opportunities for the trading partner. We unselfishly share information and actively introduce trading partners to more market opportunity, even if this doesn’t serve our best interests.
• We understand the consequences of entering into a long-term contracts and relationship with marginalized producers… a relationship that promises hope for the future and is risky. Have other importers considered this dynamic and is the importer committed to doing whatever it takes to fulfill this commitment, regardless of the circumstances?
• Lead the industry in providing a transparent document trail.
• We are willing to walk away from a potential business opportunity when other fair traders are already in place.
• We accept and respect the unique organizational structure and culture of the trading partner. We do not impose democracy – but we do encourage it.
• Our contracts exceed fair trade standard pricing formulas and should be acceptable to trading partners based on their actual costs of doing business, their cost of living, and more subjective financial needs. To start the conversation we ask: How much do you need us to pay you, per pound, so that this works for you? We cannot always meet the price – but usually we can and, most importantly, this is a two way conversation. We are committed to building alternative pricing models that supercede the current NYC pricing scheme which mainly serves Wall Street.
• We don’t want to be the only buyers of our trading partners’ coffee! This is illogical in today’s market of limited editions and exclusive contracts…but this position is certainly in the best interest of the producers.
• We believe all trade should be fair and are developing a scaleable approach to trading fairly that other importers can copy, not a self-serving model that is admirable but not applicable to the industry.
• We are building a producer voice in Coop Coffees and want the Coop Coffees network to bring producers together to collaborate.

• We recognize that the established fair trade coffee standards, including minimum pricing, are not adequate – and should not define the relationship. They simply play the role of insurance. We get excited by the depth, breadth and scope of the relationship, not the insurance. Who gets excit4ed by insurance?? It is just something that all should have – not a measure of success…
• We consider open contacts – not fixed priced contracts – to be standard and support the trading partner in managing market pressures. Fixed contracts are dangerous for the coop in a rising market.
• We do not have a commodity business that subsidizes our overhead. If we do it is fair trade.
• We address prefinancing proactively, openly, up front. We do NOT believe in a “don’t ask-don’t tell” prefinance policy that seems to have become the industry norm.
• We don’t have a broad customer base available to take excess inventory or work out a poor quality lot. All of our customers want the best quality – but all specialty coffee isn’t special.
• Our coop buys coffee that is already sold on an annual contact to members – but we don’t require monthly delivery. Easier for roasters to manage – more flexible – but costs associated.
• Other importers want to run out of a coffee – our goal is to never run out!