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Drinking a small expresso in pleasant surroundings might seem an innocuous pastime, but, as Costa Coffee recognises, customers are increasingly keen to ensure that their indulgence has a positive impact on the farmers who grow the beans.

Kevin Hydes, marketing manager at Costa Coffee, explains: ‘Customers are becoming interested in where we purchase our products. They want to make sure that they are sourced sustainably and ethically.

‘We recognise that how we behave in sourcing coffee beans plays a part in the motivation of customers to choose our shops. Studies show that customers seek out operations with accredited processes.'

Research by YouGov revealed that 80 per cent of people in the UK want the option of purchasing ethical coffee from high street outlets. They also indicated a willingness to pay an average of 14p more per cup to ensure that their coffee was ethical.

This growing groundswell of customer opinion prompted Costa Coffee to consider a relationship with an accredited organisation, such as the Fairtrade Foundation and the Rainforest Alliance.

In the past, Costa Coffee, which buys approximately 5,000 tonnes of green beans every year, has primarily dealt with coffee brokers.

Hydes explains: ‘We initiated a review of our sourcing policies in July/August 2007. We entered discussions with various accredited organisations, considering how well they fitted with us as a company and their processes. We were particularly concerned about environmental credentials and sustainability issues.'

The Rainforest Alliance appealed because its certified coffee is grown on farms where forests are protected and rivers, soils and wildlife conserved. It also ensures that the farmers work in a safe environment, are paid decent wages and have access to clean water, medical care and education.

‘Farmers work in an environment that is largely protected,' says Hydes. ‘They have an opportunity to make money from coffee but also enjoy appropriate living and working standards.'

He adds: ‘The Fairtrade Foundation is also fantastic. They focus on guaranteeing the price of the commodity to support farmers. But we felt that the Rainforest Alliance offered additional advantages.'

Rainforest Alliance accredited coffee was introduced into Costa's outlets in September but Hydes concedes it is difficult to assess whether there has been a noticeable increase in sales. ‘Sales can fluctuate on a day-to-day basis,' he says. ‘It can depend on the weather.'

To achieve the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, farms must ensure that the people who grow the coffee, and the land they grow it on, are carefully supported and sustained.

Indeed, in many ways, the ideals of the Rainforest Alliance fit neatly with those of Costa Coffee. It has always been keen to ensure that the farmers who produce its beans and their communities are well looked after both financially and practically.

More than two years ago, the coffee shop, which is now owned by Whitbread, established a charity, the Costa Foundation, to give something back to communities within the countries from which it sourced coffee beans.

Educational initiatives

Costa Coffee donates a portion of annual profits to the Foundation, but other monies come from store and staff fundraising activities, payroll donations and a special day where the profits from all 700 UK-based stores are donated.

‘We focus on education and on building schools in Colombia, Ethiopia and Uganda, but we have also signed off on projects in Costa Rica and Guatemala,' says Hydes. ‘We have invested in 12 projects since the launch of the Foundation. Three of these have since completed.'

The rebuilding and expansion of Anatoli School in La Mesa, Colombia means more than 130 children in the region are now able to attend school. To support their families, however, a Food Security Programme has been developed on a plot of land alongside the school building, where coffee farmers and their families can grow crops, such as maize, beans and other vegetables.

Kilenso Rasa, an eight-classroom high school in Oromia Kilenso, Ethiopia, was also built with funds from the Foundation, providing facilities for 480 children, accommodation for teachers and a library complete with reference books. ‘Before this was built, students had to walk ten miles to the nearest school,' says Hydes. ‘We hope to build 15 schools over the next decade, providing education for 5,000 children. We have promised not only to build the schools but also to maintain them and pay running costs for the duration.' In Guatemala, for example, the Foundation is funding a social worker's salary for three years who will run a ‘life skills programme' for the community.

Several area managers have been sent out to witness firsthand the work of the Foundation. ‘It is a great thing to do but a logistical challenge,' says Hydes. ‘These are not pleasure trips. One employee visiting our projects in Uganda spent 48 hours on a bus, and we are not talking about roads as we know them. These trips are not for the fainthearted, but we make sure that staff are aware in advance of what they should expect. It is an incredibly valuable and amazing experience.'

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