Support the Source!

Consumer support for farmer direct produce is growing rapidly in WA, but how can ethically minded consumers show their support for producers of goods not grown here on our doorstep? One group of Colombian Coffee farmers have found a way.
Mauricio Velasquez is the Australian Representative of Asprounion, a Fairtrade, certified co-operative responsible for the new la Jacoba Coffee . He says that West Australians are increasingly supportive of initiatives such as Fairtrade, which (through cutting out the middlemen) deliver a greater share of the profits to growers around the world. Coffee lovers will be able to satisfy their taste for superior quality beans, and support Colombian Farmers at the same time. La Jacoba beans are Special Reserve, single region Arabica beans, which are independently certified as Specialty Coffee grade, and are 100% Fairtrade.
While most coffee growers sell their raw green beans to multinationals (an arrangement which generally doesn’t benefit farmers) ASPROUNION roasts, packages, exports and markets it. This value-adding element is unusual among the world’s coffee farmers, and means that more local jobs are created and more of the profits stay within their communities.
“A lot of coffee farmers in Columbia and elsewhere get very little money for their hard work,” explains Velasquez, who used to live in Columbia.
“After coffee brokers take their cut, those who grew the coffee are always left with very little.”
Velasquez hopes West Australians will become ‘partners’ by buying Fairtrade certified coffee. To become a partner, check out La Jacoba online.