Sustainability

Statement of Intent

SUSTAINABLE IMPACT PROPOSAL

All businesses have an important role to play in the mitigation of the climate crisis. Operating within the complexities of the global coffee supply chain, we acknowledge that our business consumes resources and produces waste, affecting both people and the environment.

Our Sustainable Impact Proposal will set out a road map with clear objectives that have been designed to be both transparent and measurable. We will aim to provide a concise breakdown of all metrics and methods used in the capturing of critical data across all our business practices.

Planet

Coffee needs to be sustainably grown. Intensive farming leads to reduced biodiversity, decreased soil health, and an over-reliance on fertilisers and irrigation as a result. If left unchecked, intensive farming is a real, credible threat to the future of coffee.

We source our coffees from farms that value sustainable farming methods (some are even award-winners)! These farms work alongside nature rather than fighting against it, so that great coffee can continue to be grown for generations to come.

We joined the global movement 1% for the Planet and pledged to donate 1% of our annual sales to environmental causes. To read more, click the button below.

1% for the Planet

People

Most of the world's coffee is traded as a commodity, on what's known as the C Market. This price isn't based on any individual farmer's needs or situation, and often farmers will make less money for their coffee than it costs to produce it in the first place.

By definition, this is unsustainable, and these farmers will stop growing coffee and grow something else instead. Working outside of the C Market is core to the Rounton Coffee mission. We pay a premium for the coffees we source, which allows more cash to make it back to the people who make the coffee possible.

Investment in infrastructure, agronomy and education are key to the sustainability of coffee worldwide.

Roasting

We roast on a Loring S35 Kestrel roaster. Although it is gas-powered, it's a much more energy-efficient machine than its predecessor. It also has allowed us to up our batch sizes to 30kg. The energy and time taken to bring the roaster up to temperature is small, allowing us to roast more coffee in the time the roaster is on. All of these gains have significantly lowered our carbon impact, whilst increasing the quality of our coffee.

Packing & Shipping

Our coffee bags are carbon-neutral and home-recyclable, so it's now easier than ever to enjoy our coffee without worrying about waste.

For our local wholesale deliveries, we have a 'milk round' of reusable coffee tubs. Since its introduction, we have saved thousands of coffee bags from going to landfill.

Future

We're proud of what we have achieved so far, but there is always work to be done.

We're particularly proud to be working closely with Agri Evolve, the people behind our Ugandan coffee. By pledging an additional 60p per kilo of green coffee we buy, we will be supporting their ACE 2030 project, a 10-year plan emphasising the integral link between agriculture, community and the environment. To learn more about this initiative, tap the button below.

As a business, we’re now focusing on more than just roasting great coffee. Our goal for the future is to bring positive change to the place we call home, and to the environment.

Thanks for joining us on the journey.

Agri Evolve

Sustainably sourced, proper tasty coffee