Innovation

Many innovations are thought of as a new machine or revolutionary new process, but Just Us!’s innovations are very much in the social justice forum. Their business model is a worker cooperative, which they point is a largely under-utilized structure in this part of the world. The democratic nature of a worker co-op has been a huge part of keeping high worker engagement. The value chain, and egalitarian ethos created in a co-op environment allows many different perspectives to be gained from producers and workers that would have gone unheard in other structures.

Just Us! was the first licensed and certified fair trade coffee roaster in Canada and more recently has been involved with SPP. Their organization was the first Canadian organic coffee roaster in the world to join the Small Producers' Symbol in 2011. SPP is a producer created fair trade organization, who's main goals is to put some of the power back in the hands of the small producers who pioneered the concept.

Another major innovation Just Us! has focused on in recent years is developing partners for strategic growth. They realized that sustainable coffee and cafés were their wheelhouse and despite their will to be the voice for every social justice cause in the region, it would not be possible while maintaining their high standards of quality. By building strong, tight, and mutually beneficial relationships with companies that are already doing work in the social justice arena, major benefits can be found for organizations involved in partnerships with Just US!. An example of this type of partnership is seen when looking at their many wholesale and café partners which includes Sobeys, Atlantic Superstore, and Antigonish’s own local coffee shop the Tall and Small Café. Collaboration also reinforces overall impacts to be made for a particular cause.

Inspiration

Through our interview with Joey Pittoello and Vicki Matthews, we learned that the inspiration originally came when Jeff Moore, one of the founders of Just Us!, was travelling through Ethiopia and “quickly became really taken by how important coffee was in the culture of many Ethiopian tribes.” This inspiration developed into a democratic worker owned co-op which can be linked to several things throughout this business’s long history. The need for innovation has not been seen as merely a want by the company, but as a necessity for positive growth in cultures with socio-economic problems. Jeff, while traveling throughout Ethiopia, was inspired by many facets of their culture and noticed the potential that could be reached if it were not for inefficiencies within the country. With regards to culture, Jeff noticed many individuals had great ambition and aspired to work. However, “there is a lot of need in countries like Ethiopia, unfortunately governments don’t necessarily deliver on that as well as some of us might hope”. Yet, Jeff realized that he had the potential to change things, and he saw coffee as a “supportive structure for the coffee industry itself within those communities.” This concept worked really well for his company, as they have realized by hiring employees from countries such as Ethiopia, Latin America, and Mexico. These employees “put their labor into the success of the business.” The real change, I believe, came from “a general dissatisfaction with the direction of our economy in the way it’s heading” by the exploitation of individuals from the Global South. So in turn, the real inspiration for innovation was the recognition for change from first-hand experiences. Jeff had been to these countries and saw the way workers were being treated, so he established fair trade with them so they could work without exploitation.

Overall impact

From the beginning Just Us!, whose name is actually a play on the word justice, was a feel good story which helped its early success. But as a coffee brand has never wanted their brand to outcompete other brands. Instead, the brand is a vessel for creating relationships between consumers and companies that embrace equitable trade. These ideals are the reason the initial success has been sustained for decades now. Their values can also be seen in their focus on education over marketing, as showcased by the Just Us! Fair Trade Museum. They believe economies near and far can transition from being machines of exploitation to relationship-based systems in which producers have autonomy over their own destinies. Just Us! is inspired by the small producer farm co-ops they partner with in the global South. This democratic foundation embodies their social, environmental, and economic impact. To date, Just Us! has had partnerships with organizations in Ethiopia, Peru, Guatemala, and other developing nations in the Global South. All of their labeling is done by a company in New Minas, Nova Scotia, who employs disabled workers to produce the high-quality labels they use. This is another example of the many mutually beneficial partnerships Just Us! have developed. The worker cooperative structure of their business allows both customers and employees to contribute to change on a global scale, in a sustainable and socially beneficial manner. They believe that in business people and the planet should come first, and as they grow Just Us! is proud to return a portion of their profit to non-member workers, worker-members, and producer-partners.

Business benefit

With innovation as substantial as this, much has to change so that the organization can properly function. The results of a worker owned co-op and certified fair trade leaders agreement has supported new investment opportunities within the Global South, created numerous jobs, and has an overall impact on the wellbeing of employees in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Peru, and in the province of Nova Scotia. One example of the investment opportunities that have arisen from practicing fair trade is the partnership with producers from Guatemala. In 2001 Just Us! requested orders from the Peasant Farmers Committee of the Highlands, also known by their Spanish acronym CCDA, at fair trade prices. At this time Guatemala was not known for its superb coffee, and to buy their beans at a premium price was definitely a gamble. However, by doing so Just Us! was able to get the CCDA fair trade endorsement and become organic certified while growing the brand. This in turn made coffee from the Guatemala region more expensive and desirable to the public, which allowed Just Us! the ability to sell Guatemalan coffee at a premium price, benefitting both Guatemalan farmers as well as Just Us!. The partnership has also done wonders for the workers of Guatemala. By purchasing their beans at fair trade prices, workers can now enjoy a livable wage that they might not have had before. Their work has also created much more opportunity to hire new workers, so that they too can get ahead instead of working on industrial coffee plantations. By innovating their organization, Just Us! have made a global impact for the better, as well as being able to serve their employees and their community at home.

Social and environmental benefit

Just Us! plays a large role in the success of their producers from the Global South. The simplest way the business provides an impact to society is by paying much higher prices for sustainable coffee. The typical price per one pound of coffee at the producer level is $1.00 CAD. This dollar amount is clearly not enough to provide farmers livable wages. The organic fair trade level is roughly $1.60-$1.90 CAD per pound, and through the Small Producers' Symbol (SPP) the base amount of coffee is $2.20 CAD per pound. Just Us! pays above this amount because they have the respect and awareness to listen to their producers. This is something many other businesses fail at.

An example of the business paying more for their coffee can be viewed through a project of challenging women’s unpaid work in Nicaragua. Coffee production in the Global South does not typically involve women in the orchard tending to the coffee. Although women are making meals and sorting through coffee when it comes back from harvest, their labor is never compensated for. Throughout the past twenty years, Just Us! has paid an additional $0.20 for each pound of coffee they buy, this is in order to represent the work that women put into the production process. From this, women have been able to start their own microbusinesses and open savings accounts. Such progression is a rare sight in Nicaragua and allows women to be more self-sufficient in their pursuit of prosperity.

One more important societal benefit from Just Us!’s fair trade relationships involves another producer from Nicaragua. This partnership takes on climate action through what is called the Global Contributions Program. The business provides project funding to their producers for the building of bio-fermentation plants. These plants create microorganisms that enhance the biology of the soils in their coffee orchards, this incorporates long-term carbon storage into their soils. The Global Contributions Program combats chemical and conventional agriculture which strips the soil of its organic matter. This creates the need for added chemicals, and mechanical tillage which is harmful to the environment.

In addition to the many societal benefits previously mentioned, efforts to work with African communities have proven productive. Partners that the business works with in Ethiopia are quite well known for the number of schools they have built. These schools have been paid for with the fair trade premiums that come with buying their coffee. Helping to break down colonial structures and habits in the Global South is constantly on the organization's agenda.

Interviews

Joey Pittoello, General Manager

Vicki Matthews, Sales Representative