Fostering Stability in the DLG Green Coffee Network
De La Gente exists to provide stability to small-scale producers. We recognize that the historical and current inequity, exploitation, and value volatility within the coffee industry hinders their growth and prosperity as coffee professionals. To better understand these dynamics and our impact, it's crucial to understand various aspects of the industry.
The C Price is the value of coffee as a commodity within the global market. This value is defined by supply and demand, so the back and forth flow of selling and buying informs the ever-fluctuating C price. This value, which is determined by the International Exchange in New York City, affects the livelihoods of coffee farmers around the world, including the small-scale farmers with whom we work. Their profession demands consistency, investment, and maintenance without knowing how their product and labor will be valued when the harvest comes.
By the end of 2021, due to a scarcity of coffee in the international market, the value of green coffee was higher than it had been in ten years, something worth celebrating for the global community of farmers. However, those who work in coffee production are acutely aware of the instability of the C Price. DLG sets out to disrupt this cycle of volatility and provide a stable income for farmers, year after year. We’re proud to say that we work with a network of coffee buyers who have joined us in this mission to forge relationships with the cooperatives from which they purchase and invest in economic growth and stability within the community. Alfredo, who was elected president of La Suiza Cooperative in 2021 explains, “We say no to other buyers because those buyers come and go. But with [DLG], we know they're steady, and a lot of people here are aware of this and our goal is to continue and maintain our market.”
When competing in the coffee industry, there are numerous certifications, (ex: Organic Certified or Fair Trade Certified), coffee justice movements (ex: Direct Trade), as well as a variety of assessments that open, close, or specify the various channels through which coffee can be traded and later retailed. A frequent question we receive at DLG, as well as one we ask ourselves internally, are what measurements and guiding principles define the DLG brand.
We strive to attain two core elements: produce high-quality coffee and foster relationship-based trade. As a result of years of trainings and capacity-building with the farmers with whom we work, it brings us great pride to say that they are producing high quality coffee that consistently receives top scores. Coffee is graded on a scale of 1 to 100, and the widely accepted classification is that a score of 80 and above is considered specialty coffee. In 2021, the average score of the coffee from our partner cooperatives was 85.
We work with a network of green coffee customers who are conscious of the volatility of the C Price and its impact on De La Gente coffee growers. Last harvest, all of our repeat green coffee customers paid more than the C Price, valuing the investment and expertise of our partner cooperatives, and committed to their purchase before the harvest ended. Thank you, Green Coffee Customers, for valuing the expertise of the coffee professionals at our partner cooperatives. We look forward to many more harvests of cultivating opportunity.
“We love the excellent coffee produced by DLG co-ops, but we really value DLG's commitment to confronting issues and injustices within the coffee supply chain and within the communities of coffee growers it has partnered with. A continued relationship with De La Gente is a natural fit with the values of our business focused on customers who appreciate the value of responsibly- sourced coffee. We are proud of our relationship with De La Gente.”
Chris Cumming | Snapping Turtle Coffee Roasters
