Ever since Seattle Coffee Company opened its doors to South Africans eleven years ago, it has considered ethical trading to be one of its most important principles and Seattle’s partnership with their roasters in London is built on these shared values.

While the company applauds the work of Fairtrade Certification bodies, they believe that more input is required, in particular by helping smaller farms obtain certification; which is why their roasters go beyond current norms and standards.

Seattle Coffee Company’s roasters purchase high quality green coffee from family-owned and managed farms, small holder producer cooperatives and coffee growers associations. Some are Fairtrade accredited and some not. As part of the agreed purchase price for the coffee, the roasters engage with producers to define specific projects related to social and economic development in the producing community - determined by the farmer themselves - to improve the levels of health, social, education and economic services.

Ethical sourcing is not a black and white issue. Although basic principles are adhered to, Seattle Coffee Company believes there is room for flexibility and that the process is one of continuous improvement in working and living conditions for farmers and workers, and respect for the environment. For this reason they select from certified farms as well as single-estate farms ineligible for accreditation on the basis of quality and social, environmental and economic considerations.

Seattle Coffee Company is about to embark on a campaign to educate their customers about each of the whole bean coffees they offer as well as the signature blend used in all their espresso based coffees. Each has a story of its own and each has been sourced and purchased ethically.