Since its inception, Common Good Coffee has been claiming that it’s three times as good as regular coffee. It’s a bit tongue in cheek, but we used the phrase because there’s also truth to it.
Over the past few weeks my social media feed has been full of different coffee brands talking about how they are doing good, the partnerships they’re developing within Aotearoa and overseas. And I thought - that’s awesome! There’s some amazing stuff happening and we always want to celebrate making good more common in our world.
I’m strongly driven by my values (if you’re into StrengthsFinder, Belief is in my top five). So alongside the celebration of good things happening, I also had a bit of a wobble.
It got me thinking - so what makes Common Good Coffee any different? In my moment of insecurity I spent some time reflecting. We say we’re three times as good as regular coffee, but are we?
Drink Gooder
Our coffee is delicious, so with every cup you’re drinking gooder. Of course, we love good coffee and so we know there’s other tasty coffee out there (as well as some pretty nasty ones!). But we are definitely gooder than your average coffee.
/ Our Christchurch team tasting the epic Gesha special edition earlier this year.
Do Gooder
All of our coffee is certified Fairtrade and organic. That means that ALL of our coffee ensures that vulnerable farming communities in the majority world are not only receiving a fair price for their coffee, they also receive a premium that enables them to reinvest into local community-led development initiatives. Each of these producer cooperatives carries organic certification. This means that they are also ensuring that they care for their land.
We prefer to use independent certifications because there is greater robustness and transparency for our customers. We want to make sure that people and our planet are getting a fair deal. And we’re stoked to see so many other businesses that are choosing to be fair trade and organic too!
But fair trade and organic is unfortunately still not the norm in the coffee industry. So on that front, we’re still doing gooder!
/ Oromia Farmers Cooperative Union, Ethiopia
Feel Gooder
It’s here that we largely come into our own.
Built into our costs, before we make a profit, $5 from every kilo of coffee is redistributed to our partner Joyya. Supporting Joyya is the purpose behind Common Good Coffee. Ultimately, we’re about selling more coffee so that more money can go to Joyya (but without compromising on taste, the planet or the people who produce it).
Joyya currently works amongst communities in West Bengal, India that are most vulnerable to extreme poverty and human trafficking. Through holistic business practices complemented by advocacy and community development initiatives, Joyya is working alongside communities to spark good and bring intergenerational transformation.
/ Employees at Joyya, West Bengal, India.
It means our margins are super tight (which in a start-up during a global pandemic is challenging!). You may have heard of the term ‘profit-for-purpose’ in the social enterprise world where a business exists to make a profit, and some or all of the profit goes towards a particular cause or ethos. Profit-for-purpose is an awesome business model, and one to be celebrated.
But that’s not what we are. Our business model would best be described as purpose before profit. Now of course, we need to be financially self-sustaining, otherwise it all ends.
The ‘good’ world is littered with unfortunate stories of enterprises with a great heart, but no way to pay the bills. But our support of Joyya is not a one-off donation or tagged to a single product. It doesn't depend on how much profit we make. It’s an integral part of our business operation, all day, every day.
It’s a different kind of model. One that sits outside the norm and means that we have to constantly wrestle with ensuring our business is viable and sustainable so that we can continue to support Joyya.
But we also believe that it’s worthwhile. In under 18 months (and again as a start-up during a global pandemic) we’ve redistributed over $95,000 towards Joyya which feels like a mammoth win for us, our customers and Joyya!
Our key partners also run their businesses as social enterprises, which means that they’re reinvesting into their local community or supporting other great causes.
Phew! That was a ramble, but I’ve come out of it with my integrity left intact. And with confidence, I can tell you that Common Good Coffee really is three times as good as regular coffee!
Ana Fletcher
