Innovation

"We buy coffee grains directly from small organic producers in Chiapas, México. We pay more than the market prices and we eliminate intermediaries so, the main benefits of the sale are staying in the family fields. Also, all of our employees for our shops are young mothers that live nearby and have some flexible work time so they can take care of their children. We also pay them more than the average wage of the zone."

"We are the last link in a chain of hard working people. We are committed to getting the best product we can, giving dignity to the jobs we create and promoting consumption of local products with ethical treatment and fair trade characteristics."

Inspiration

The motivation and purpose of the project was trying to add value to the producers' work and giving them recognition with monetary incentives.

The inspiration came when visiting the coffee fields in Chiapas, México and living there for a period of time. "I was giving some material help in those coffee communities and I overheard that the intermediaries kept all of the benefits of the production. I was told that if you don't let them do that, they won't buy from you and it was very probable that you (and your family) would die from hunger. I felt really bad and angry, but it was the only way (at that time) that people could get by, by almost giving their coffee beans for free."

Overall impact

"People started consuming our products because of our commitment to fair trade. We also have some employees that are taking courses for improving their work and, most of all, the benefit of a community that have secured sales for their coffee grains."

"We give talks and workshops to our producers to assure that they continue working in an organic way."

"The impact that we had in a short term was the social awareness of a problematic situation, very common in México and also people consuming our products not only for the quality but also for our philosophy."

Business benefit

El Local Cafe has had profits since month 1 and is selling 150% more coffee grounds with their Brand, developing a new stream of income.

Social and environmental benefit

The main impact and benefit has been to offer organic products under fair trade guidelines and ethical treatment and also the creation of new jobs with flexible schedules for working moms.

Interview

Jorge Armando Sánchez Monterde, Entrepreneur