Fairtrade Vending

Fairtrade

The Fairtrade Mark is more than a badge of hope for farmers in the developing world - it shows our commitment to paying coffee growers in particular a fair and proper price for their hard won crops. This can be 3 times more than free market prices. The growers also receive a premium that they can invest in community projects.

Farmers who get a better deal on their crops can properly husband their land and resources. By putting a lot of care into their crops and the forests that sustain them they are also helping to care for the environment.

Brighter Tomorrow

The objective of Brighter Tomorrow is similar to that of Fairtrade; however, they operate slightly differently. Rather than just paying a basic standard price (as with Fairtrade) they work with farmers from selected co-operatives in Malawi and Kenya to help them improve the quality of their product and command a higher price for their yield. In addition, Brighter tomorrow provide funding for a range of community and environmental projects within the co-operatives. The RefreshU group are pleased to offer these products to its customers.

Rain Forest Alliance

The RefreshU group also buy Rainforest Alliance certified Tea and Coffee. Certification involves a holistic approach -- treating environment, ethics and economics equally. To meet the standards, farmers must commit to continuous improvements in worker welfare, farm management and environmental protection. Farmers learn how to improve their productivity and reduce costs by reducing pesticide use, eliminating waste and introducing better farming techniques. Workers earn decent wages and have access to good housing, education and healthcare. And the environment on which these farmers depend is protected.