Which Coffee Has a Positive Impact on Farmers?

Spoiler: It’s probably not the one you picked up on sale at Albert Heijn.

Most coffee doesn't do farmers any favours. Not in the way that really matters. Sure, we like to think we’re helping.

We buy a bag that says “duurzaam” or “eerlijk” and call it a day. But feel-good marketing and actual impact? Not the same thing.

If we’re serious about drinking coffee that does more than just taste good—we need to get uncomfortable, ask better questions, and stop falling for buzzwords.

So let’s break it down.

What kind of coffee actually makes a difference? And where’s the line between fair trade and fairy tales?

TL;DR: Which Coffee Has a Positive Impact on Farmers? Coffee that has a positive impact on farmers is transparently sourced, traceable to the specific farm or cooperative, and purchased through long-term relationships at stable, above-market prices. This means looking beyond keurmerken and supermarket deals, and choosing coffee from roasters who invest directly in farmer partnerships and share where their money goes.

What Does “Positive Impact” Actually Mean?

“Positive impact” has become a bit of a throwaway phrase in the coffee industry. It sounds nice, looks great on packaging, and gives consumers the warm fuzzies. But in practice? It’s often vague at best, and misleading at worst.

So let’s dig into what real positive impact means—beyond the buzzwords.

1. Farmers Earning More Than It Costs to Produce Coffee

This should be obvious, but it’s not the norm. In many coffee-producing countries, especially in Latin America and parts of Africa, smallholder farmers operate at a net loss. That means they’re literally losing money just to keep producing coffee.

Positive impact starts with fair, stable prices—not based on the volatile world market (also known as the C-price), but on the actual cost of production plus a healthy margin. That includes living wages, education, equipment, and savings—not just scraping by.

In a truly fair model, a farmer doesn’t have to choose between buying schoolbooks and investing in their crop. They can do both.

2. Multi-Year Commitments, Not One-Off Purchases

Real impact doesn’t come from one good harvest. It comes from consistency. Imagine running a business where you have no idea if your buyer will come back next year. That’s the reality for a lot of farmers.

A coffee with positive impact is backed by long-term relationships between roasters and producers—sometimes lasting 5, 10, even 15 years.

That kind of commitment builds trust, allows producers to invest in quality improvements, and gives everyone in the chain a bit of breathing space.

It’s not sexy. It doesn’t fit neatly on a label. But it changes lives.

3. Shared Risk, Shared Reward

Farming is a risky business—climate change, pests, political instability, logistical nightmares… the list is long. But in most traditional coffee supply chains, all that risk sits squarely on the farmer’s shoulders, while the rewards flow upstream to exporters, importers, and roasters.

Positive impact means redistributing that risk more fairly. That can look like pre-harvest financing, paying for coffee before it ships, supporting organic transitions, or even co-investing in processing equipment or infrastructure.

It also means rewarding innovation. When a producer experiments with fermentation, shade-grown methods, or climate adaptation strategies, they should be met with higher prices and market access, not a shrug and a price cut when the cup profile isn’t perfect.

4. Transparency Over Marketing

You want to know if a coffee has a positive impact? Ask where it comes from, who grew it, and what they were paid.

Coffee companies that truly prioritise impact will share specific information: the name of the farm or cooperative, the processing method, the price paid at origin (often referred to as “FOB” or “farm gate”), and the length of the relationship.

If all you see is vague language—“sourced responsibly,” “helping communities,” “supporting farmers”—without anything to back it up, take it with a grain of salt. Or maybe a whole spoonful.

5. Regenerative, Not Just Sustainable

Sustainability has become the baseline. But the question is: what are we sustaining? A broken system that keeps producers in poverty? That’s not good enough.

Coffee with real impact goes further. It supports regenerative practices—not just protecting the environment, but actively improving soil health, biodiversity, and resilience to climate change.

It also uplifts the next generation of farmers, who increasingly see no future in coffee. That means better access to education, technology, training, and actual business opportunities.

Because let’s face it: without the next generation, there is no future for coffee at all.

The European Certification Problem

Here in the Netherlands, we love a keurmerk. Max Havelaar, UTZ, Rainforest Alliance—you see them all over supermarket shelves. And to be fair, these labels have done something. They’ve raised awareness. They’ve created minimum standards.

But let’s not pretend they’re the gold standard.

The minimum price floor for certified coffee is often barely above production cost—especially with inflation, extreme weather, and higher fertiliser prices eating away margins. And yes, even in “fair” systems, producers often carry the most risk and earn the least.

You know what really sticks?

Commitment. Relationships.

And paying prices that reflect both quality and sustainability—not just ticking a box so your brand can look good in a CSR report.

So, Which Coffee Actually Helps Farmers?

If you’ve made it this far, you already know that most coffee doesn’t help farmers nearly enough. So what kind of coffee actually does?

Let’s be clear: it’s not about catchy labels or romantic origin stories. It’s about structure. A supply chain built with transparency, shared value, and long-term thinking. One where the farmer isn’t just a faceless supplier, but a respected partner.

Here are the sourcing models and practices that actually move the needle for producers:

1. Direct Trade (When It’s the Real Deal)

Direct trade has been hyped for years—but like many things in specialty coffee, it’s only meaningful when done with care and integrity.

At its core, direct trade means cutting out unnecessary intermediaries, negotiating prices directly with producers, and building mutual trust. The idea is simple: if you remove the layers of traders, exporters, and brokers, more money can go straight to the people growing the coffee.

But here's the catch: anyone can claim “direct trade.” There's no certification, no watchdog, no agreed-upon standard. So unless the roaster shows real transparency—naming the farm, sharing how long they've been working together, and even listing the price paid at origin—it's often just a marketing gimmick.

Direct trade done right is based on honesty, not hype. It’s not just about buying great coffee—it’s about building a shared future.

2. Relationship-Based Buying

(Hint: This is how we work at Zwarte Roes)

While direct trade focuses on how coffee is bought, relationship-based sourcing is about why it’s bought—and how the relationship continues to evolve over time.

At Zwarte Roes, we don’t just search for good cupping scores. We look for producers we can build long-term partnerships with. That means:

• Visiting origin (when possible), not just once, but regularly.
  
  
• Paying prices that reflect both quality and sustainability.
  
  
• Giving producers the confidence to invest in better equipment, techniques, or even a new generation of family members entering the farm.
  
  
• Celebrating the story behind the coffee—not to sell more bags, but to honour the people behind them.
  
  

We’ve worked with producers in Colombia, Brazil, and Rwanda who are not just suppliers, but collaborators. They teach us just as much as we hope to support them—and together we get better every year.

It’s slow. It’s messy. It’s human. But it’s the kind of sourcing that actually makes a difference.

3. Traceable, Transparent Specialty Lots

One of the clearest indicators that a coffee is helping farmers is traceability. If you can’t find out who produced the coffee, it’s unlikely they’re being properly rewarded for their work.

Transparency doesn’t just mean listing the country of origin. A positive-impact coffee will tell you:

• The specific farm or cooperative it came from.
  
  
• How it was processed.
  
  
• What the producer was paid at origin—either farm gate or FOB (Free on Board) price.
  
  
• Whether the roaster and producer have worked together before—or if this was a one-time spot purchase.
  
  

And look, transparency doesn’t mean perfection. Not every coffee has a flawless backstory. But if a roaster is open about what they’re paying, where it’s going, and what could be improved, that’s a great sign.

What Doesn’t Help Farmers?

Let’s not dance around it:

• Cheap supermarket blends. If you're paying less than €10 per kilo, the farmer probably got paid peanuts. No matter what label is on the bag.
  
  
• Spot buys without commitment. Some roasters buy one fancy micro-lot, never contact the farmer again, and move on. That's not sustainability—it’s coffee tourism.
  
  
• Empty marketing terms. Words like “ethically sourced” or “responsible” mean nothing without numbers, names, and a traceable story. Ask questions.
  
  

Numbers Matter (Let’s Talk Euros)

Here’s a general overview of what farmers earn in different models, just to give you a sense of the gap:

Coffee Model	Average Price to Farmer	Notes
Commodity (world market)	€1.10–€1.60 per kg	Often below cost of production, especially for smallholders.
Certified (e.g. Fairtrade)	€1.60–€2.00 per kg	Slightly better, but still tight margins.
Specialty Direct Trade	€3.50–€6.00+ per kg	Based on quality, long-term relationships, and transparent pricing.

So, What Can You Do as a Coffee Drinker in the Netherlands?

We’ve got it pretty good here—access to amazing coffee, progressive roasters, and more transparency than ever before. But that also means we’ve got choices to make.

Here’s what you can actually do:

• Buy from roasters who tell you the full story. Names, prices, relationships.
  
  
• Look beyond labels. Certifications can help, but they aren’t the whole picture.
  
  
• Support Dutch and European specialty roasters who build direct, long-term relationships with origin.
  
  
• Pay more. Yes, your coffee should be more expensive. And yes, it’s worth it.

FAQ: Coffee and Farmer Impact

Why don’t more farmers get involved in specialty coffee if it pays more?

It’s not that simple. Entering the specialty market requires investment in processing equipment, quality control, and training.

Many smallholder farmers don’t have the capital, infrastructure, or access to information to meet specialty standards—especially if they’re operating at a loss under the commodity system. It’s also risky: if the coffee doesn’t cup well, they might not find a buyer.

How do climate change and weather extremes affect a farmer’s income?

Drastically.

Unpredictable rainfall, rising temperatures, and more frequent pests (like coffee leaf rust) reduce yields and increase production costs.

A farmer may spend more just to maintain the same output—making profitability even harder without price premiums or external support. The irony? The farmers least responsible for climate change are the ones hit hardest by it.

Do EU regulations have any effect on farmer impact?

Increasingly, yes. The EU is rolling out deforestation-free import regulations and tightening rules on traceability.

This pushes larger coffee buyers to re-examine their supply chains. While the intent is good, the risk is that smallholder farmers without digital systems or land documentation get excluded.

It’s a reminder that even well-meaning policy can unintentionally harm the most vulnerable if it's not implemented thoughtfully.

Is paying more for coffee always better for the farmer?

Not automatically. Higher retail prices only help if that extra value flows down the supply chain to the producer. In some cases, margins are absorbed entirely by exporters, roasters, or retailers.

That’s why transparency matters—without knowing what the farmer was paid, there’s no way to tell whether your €12 bag of coffee is helping or just padding someone else’s markup.

What if I can’t afford specialty coffee every time—do my choices still matter?

Absolutely. You don’t have to be perfect. Even choosing one or two bags a month from a roaster who prioritises transparency and direct relationships makes a difference.

Think of it like voting with your euro: you’re supporting systems that treat producers fairly and encouraging more of that in the market.

Can decaf or espresso blends also have a positive impact?

Yes—if they’re sourced with the same care. Too often, roasters treat decaf and blends as an afterthought, filling them with the cheapest possible origins.

But when roasters use traceable, ethically sourced lots—even for espresso or decaf—it creates volume and stability for producers.

That’s a win, especially when specialty micro-lots alone don’t generate enough demand to support a whole farm.

Final Sip: Cheap Coffee Costs More Than You Think

We can’t keep pretending that “cheap” is normal. It’s not. It’s subsidised by poverty, by climate risk, by generational burnout on farms.

And the truth? If we don’t shift the way we buy coffee now, there won’t be any left to argue about in 20 years.

The future of coffee starts with the choices we make at the shelf, the café counter, and the webshop.

So next time you sip, ask yourself:

Who actually wins from this cup?

If it’s not the farmer, it’s not the coffee we should be drinking.