Christmas coffee sponsored by Ethichub

As you already know, in Incapto Coffee, we are 100% sure that there is another way to drink coffee. A much more sustainable one with which we would be protecting our planet. And, of course, for all its inhabitants. That is why, as a brand specializing in the subject, we are responsible for promoting the consumption of free, unencapsulated and responsible coffee. For this reason, we decided to include one of the products from EthicHub, specifically the coffee of Juan Luis Velázquez and Candelaria, so that they are the specialty of this Christmas.

For this reason, we cannot avoid the fact that the incentive to find social projects runs through our DNA, responsible for supporting and giving prominence to these coffee growers, who work very hard, to bring quality coffee to our homes. And they can also form an essential part of our daily routine, with the friends of EthicHub being the perfect candidates for this task.

You're probably wondering: what is it? or what is your main objective? All these and other questions will be answered by our friend Jordi Riulas, EthicHub partner. So, if you want to know first-hand everything related to this project, then stay with us and continue reading.

What is EthicHub?

We can't hide how excited we are to start a collaboration with EthicHub. We wanted to investigate a little more about them. From what Jordi Riulas tells us, it is a project with two fundamental pillars. On the one hand, it is an online lending platform to communities of small farmers, in which anyone can contribute their “grain of coffee” by supporting these workers. Anyone who wants to help must invest from €20 and will be able to obtain a return in return.

On the other hand, it works as an online store, where you can buy specialty coffee, harvested by these same communities. This is how they support farmers, buying their coffee directly. 50% of the profit obtained from the sale of coffee is used to pay a better price to the farming communities. Jordi clarifies that they do not buy or sell coffee, they are only partners with agricultural communities and help them export their excellent quality products.

How many coffee farmers use EthicHub?

According to what was revealed by Jordi Riulas, they have been working with different communities for three years. Therefore, they have financed more than 150 projects, in 13 communities, which bring together more than 200 farmers, all of them in Chiapas, Mexico. This year they have started with new communities in El Salvador.

The objective of this is to reach agreements with different local partners who share the same vision and values ​​so that they manage new origins. In this way, more and more farmers will be able to benefit from disintermediation in the sale of their coffee.

How is EthicHub coffee marketed?

This is one of the big questions and fortunately, EthicHub's partner can answer. Well, the only big difference here is that they do not import the coffee, since the coffee grower takes care of this, thanks to the support of EthicHub.

Logically, in this, both parties form a partnership, in which they share risks and benefits 50/50. They do not buy cheaper at origin and later sell an exotic coffee three times more expensive in Spain.

Knowing if we are consuming responsibly sourced coffee is quite difficult. This is because most organic and fair trade certificates do not reach these small farmers. Well, they are small groups and they are too isolated. The best way is to make “conscious” consumption, be interested in the story behind each product, find out where it comes from, who imports it and how much money we invest paying for it.

For example, with a coffee costing €10 per kilo, it is not possible to offer a quality product and pay a reasonable price to the farmer. Riulas affirms that, somewhere in the chain, someone is paying that difference, typically on the weaker side, which is the farmer and the environment.

What EthicHub thinks about ecological certificates

Jordi Riulas considers that they are a step, they are important. However, they are not a necessary guarantee that the product we buy corresponds to what we are looking for.

In the case of EthicHub, in the world of coffee, and in the area they work with in Chiapas, the ecological certificates They can only be obtained by large farms owned by multinationals, highly mechanized and that carry out intensive cultivation of the land after having deforested the entire jungle.

Its community of farmers, who cultivate small plots, under the shade of trees, which serve to regulate the growth of the coffee plant. They cannot obtain any official certificate, since no certifier can justify the cost of visiting a plot that is going to produce 15 or 20 bags of coffee.

Benefits for coffee farmers

As Riulas explains, EthicHub, works with isolated agricultural communities, especially with producers who have less than five hectares, and not with coffee farms. These farmers usually work the ejido, which are those communal lands given to small coffee growers, so that they can carry out subsistence agriculture.

In fact, in most cases many of the communities they work with are isolated, more than 3 hours on foot or by donkey, from the closest point accessible by vehicle.

Now, these communities do not have access to credit, some of them are even unbanked. That is, they do not have a bank account or access to credit; when they need small sums of money, they usually ask for it in cash and pay interest rates higher than 100%. As a result, EthicHub offers the possibility of access to credit.

It is a collective credit, which consists of giving each person the money they request and they are all responsible for its return. The good news is that, during these 3 years, they have had 0% defaults. This means that all communities demonstrated their commitment, returning the money they were lent with interest. These are simple people, but with profitable activities and with a deep-rooted moral code about responsibility and one's word.

The second service they offer is support in the export and sale of their coffee. Jordi points out that it is of no use to provide farmers with credit if to repay it they have to undersell their crops, which in many cases is the only source of income they have. For this reason, EthicHub proposes that they use the capital of the credits to receive a first payment of coffee to survive. While the rest of the capital is to finance exports and be able to sell their grains at prices 2 or 3 times higher than the price paid locally. They support farmers in this entire process.

How do you continue to support coffee farmers?

In addition to offering credit, a sales and export channel, they also consider the empowerment of the coffee grower important. Because they are constantly reminded that they grow a product of excellent quality, of which they should be very proud and that with the right work they can obtain very high-scoring coffees, and therefore obtain a better price. Therefore, working with them is vital, since their opinion and experience allows us to give them very valuable feedback and allows them to improve in the next harvest.

What does the future hold for EthicHub?

Constantly, we see an unstoppable movement in the conscious consumption of coffee. More and more consumers learn to enjoy coffee, they are interested in its origin, its producers, and its roasting. Without obviously overlooking the way of preparing it, without capsules, with coffee beans prepared in super automatic machines or in filter preparations. We will see more and more coffee shops that offer quality coffee of various origins and qualities. For Riulas, we will experience a movement similar to that of wine or beer where we will go from a high consumption of poor quality products to a moderate consumption of quality coffees, which will allow us to enjoy.

However, consider that the economic and social crisis that is currently being experienced will lead us to a more supportive, interconnected world. We will be more responsible with everything we consume and how we do it. At the same time, he points out that Incapto Coffee and EthicHub They walk together, with the same vision and the same objective.

Is EthicHub located in other countries?

Currently, they are only working in Mexico. Specifically, in the area of Soconusco of Chiapas. This year 2021, they will also begin working with a community in El Salvador, and the idea is to expand the project to other origins.

Expanding this project requires three things:

-Have local partners who are capable of understanding the project and organizing the communities for the credit application

-Have financial support from people who want to invest small amounts of money in loans to these communities

-That people buy and enjoy the coffee from these farmers to close the circle.

José Luis Velázquez's crop fields

For these important dates, we have decided to include José Luis Velázquez y Candelaria coffee in our Christmas catalog. Their crops take place in the community of La Soledad, considered one of the most beautiful isolated communities. It is located on the slopes of the Tacamá volcano, on the border between Mexico and Guatemala.

If at any time you would like to visit them, it is important that you know that to get there you must follow paths between rocks and rivers. You must also cross long bridges made of wood and walk among the mules that are on the road, transporting everything the community needs.

Another interesting fact is that this couple is the third generation of coffee farmers in their family. José Luis, together with his wife Candelaria, work the five hectares of land they have.

What flavor does this coffee provide?

This couple, who has worked hard on their land, makes the most of the richness of its volcanic soils, climate and altitude. They are factors that favor the quality of the coffee. We decided to include these beans in the Christmas edition, because they are responsible for choosing the red cherries, at their optimal point of ripeness, resulting in a drink with a pleasant sweetness and balanced flavor.

Are you interested? Well, you can find the coffee Christmas Edition Mexico Chiapas José Luis Velázquez in the Christmas catalog on the website of Incapto Coffee. A purchase with which you will not only get a quality product, free of contaminants, but you would also be making responsible consumption, supporting these small communities of coffee-growing families. Remember, don't encapsulate your favorite drink, opt for freshly ground, hot coffee.