In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Rwanda exported about 20,000 metric tons of coffee, making Rwanda the 39th largest (out of 196 countries) exporter of coffee in the world and making coffee the country’s 6th most exported product. Furthermore, Rwanda saw a 53% increase in coffee revenue from $75.5 million to $116 million making it a very successful year indeed. The backbone of all of this success is the 400,000 small-scale farmers and their families.
All of Rwanda’s coffee is grown by small-scale farmers most of whom own less than a quarter hectare of land each. Therefore, one of the industry’s priorities is making sure that farmers get a fair share of the ever increasing revenue coffee brings into the country, and Gorilla’s Coffee is contributing to this by adhering to Fairtrade standards.
Fairtrade is the most recognised and trusted sustainability label in the world. It is owned by 1.8 million farmers and workers. In developing countries like Rwanda, Fairtrade standards help to support the sustainable development of small producer organisations and agricultural workers. Fairtrade certified traders like Gorilla’s coffee are required to adhere to certain social, economic and environmental criteria, which ensure the sustainable development of small farmers and agricultural workers.
Fairtrade also certifies coffee cooperatives, such as COCAMU – Gorilla’s Coffee’s main supplier, whose members are small-scale farmers precisely because they are the heart of coffee production and of their communities. Coffee that meets Fairtrade standards comes with the assurance of environmentally-friendly production and the guarantee that workers rights are being respected, through the democratic self-organisation of cooperatives.
As Monika Firl, Senior Manager for Coffee at Fairtrade International said, “despite the recent spikes in global coffee prices, coffee farmers are struggling with inflation, skyrocketing production costs, and crop loss due to the effects of climate change. Many coffee farmers are abandoning their farms in search of opportunities elsewhere and young people today in coffee-growing communities struggle to see a future in coffee. The fact that farmers cannot make a living from coffee is a tragic commentary for the industry and a huge risk for the future of the global coffee sector as a whole.”
By paying the Fairtrade minimum price, Gorilla’s Coffee is helping to shield producers from the volatility of global coffee prices. Consequently, producers are protected from being forced to sell their products at too low a price when market price is below the Fairtrade Market Price. By providing this pricing safety net, Gorilla’s coffee is ensuring sustainable, long term trading partnerships with small-scale Rwandan coffee farmers. As a result, Rwandan farmers can earn fairer prices, build stronger communities, and have resilient futures.
Our coffee is fairtrade certified in the US market, and is now available on our Amazon.
