Whether it’s one cup to get your day started or multiple cups throughout the day, made by French press, drip brewer or K-cup, there’s nothing like that first sip of your favourite Co-operative Coffee.
But, our coffee isn’t co-operative in name only. It’s a collaboration between Co-op, our master roaster who perfects the blends and our suppliers from around the world. One such supplier is a co-operative in Peru, Flor del Café, which not only works to supply great coffee but also to improve the lives of its members.
With about 323 members, Flor del Café exports over 8 million pounds of coffee per year, which obviously benefits the producers economically. But, socially, they also share schools for their children, which is “the whole point of the association, that the kids of the producers benefit, and they can do better in the work, especially in the technical areas,” says Nilsen Melendez Munoz, President of Association of Agricultural Producers, Flor del Café. They know that investing in the children is investing in the future.
Another co-operative in Peru that Co-op not only works with, but got to visit, is Monte Verde Group. Meeting the growers and seeing where they process the beans was only part of the experience. Seeing the impact that the co-operative has on their community and hearing the stories behind it all gave Kelly Herdin, Consumer Marketing Manager at Federated Co-operatives Limited, a whole new respect for her daily coffee.
She could see similarities between their co-op and ours, making an impact in their community and a difference in people’s lives. “It’s just like what we do at home, but it’s happening in Peru,” she says, confirming that partnering with them was the right move.
Co-operative Coffee is more than beans, it’s also about the people and the land. Sav Belissimo, Store Brand Manager at Federated Co-operatives said, “It’s all about having that connection with the people, to their land, what they’re doing from a sustainability standpoint. And, it’s always to improve the quality of coffee. And that, to me, is the most important thing.”