Change begins at home

Amsterdam. It’s where This Side Up originated, where the whole team met each other, where we cup our coffees - in short, it’s our hometown.

When the municipality of Amsterdam put out a tender for their coffee supply, we simply had to participate. Across 179 buildings throughout the city, it’s where where all local government officials drink their coffee, where we pick up our passports, read books at the library, register our babies and marriages…

Amsterdam put out an ambitious tender. The city council and even the mayor got involved. The bar was high: they wanted to pay the real price that coffee costs. No labels, but traceability. No window dressing, but real impact. They wanted local entrepreneurs from within the city - and last but not least: not cheap, but good. Good for people and planet.

It’s not often we’re challenged in our sustainability claims. It’s not often we have to show our real selves in a truer way than we ever have, to really showcase what we stand for and who we are. But this is what Amsterdam does to you. It's bold, brings out discussions, and wants you to show yourself in your true colours. And change always begins at home!

we show up as humans not JUST entreprenuers

Much of the specialty coffee industry prices based on cup score and short-term market dynamics—as reflected in the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide. This can exclude farmers without consistent access to specialty markets both those what need it and those that want it.

Fair price isn’t something you model or benchmark. It’s something you arrive at through conversation—because that’s what makes it real (and sometimes difficult!). It starts with trust: that the price the farmers “quotes” us, covers their costs and supports their lives. We know from experience that our farmers bring both quantitative and qualitative reasoning to that number and that it evolves every year. Our role is to listen and respect it, not to obsess over how that money is  used,just as farmers don’t decide how we, as buyers, spend our income.

By fixing prices together with farmers and returning year after year, we create a market for high-quality coffee that is both usable and affordable—acting as a bridge toward long-term commitments. This Side Up strives to build  consistency in how we work and with whom, making it the  foundation for navigating
challenges together.

 Our network of roasters is willing to commit as long as they trust that volumes and
quality will remain consistent. Farmers, in turn, commit when they receive fair value for their work.

For farmers : specialty coffee fosters economic growth

Producing high-quality coffee requires effort, and that effort justifies a higher price. It gives farmers the space to become more autonomous and entrepreneurial, rather than being stuck in a commodity market where both they and their coffee are easily replaceable. This Side Up works with farmers from different economic backgrounds around the world. Buying specialty coffee of different qualities from all of them changes their world in different ways. Those in acute poverty can earn better income and those who are passionate can land a stable home for their coffees. For producers at origin, specialty coffee acts as a catalyst for economic growth. 

BENCHMARK : LOCAL CONTEXT AND FARMER’S ATTITUDES
Here we compare the farmgate prices farmers would have got if they sold the same quality locally vs at TSU to understand the economic impact for the
volumes we source and base in on the reality of these specific regions.
This will be updated every year and now shows it for the 2025 harvest year.

BENCHMARK : CREATING A STABLE MARKET FOR DIFFERENT QUALITIES

Here we show you the spectrum of qualities defined by cup score we buy from Rwanda as an example. Each quality is priced differently showing the effort it takes to produce it. The lower end specialty requires less effort to process it from the cooperative’s side compared to the higher scoring coffees. Here there is a small catch in the final data point being high scored but has a lower price - it is because of volumes they produce at scale, they can afford to sell it a slightly at 8$/kg. In 2026, the prices of all qualities will be a bit higher to match the inflation, local market prices and cover costs of production. Every year these variables are considered closely and then price is fixed.

The same philosophy of creating stable demand across qualities applies to all our 14 countries. We pride ourselves to be agents of the farmer and that means we sell what they have to offer to the market, meeting them where they are!

FOR ROASTERS : SPECIALTY COFFEE IS a craft

BENCHMARK : CREATING A STABLE MARKET FOR DIFFERENT QUALITIES

This Side Up works with different market segments in Europe: Entry Level (those seeking affordable, good-quality coffee), Mid Tier (mostly 84–86 scoring coffees), and High End (competitive and nanolots). Despite these differences, most share a common goal: to grow their business and build long-term commitments based on quality, price, and story. Being a responsible middleman means facilitating direct trade matching producers and their coffee with the right roasters.

BENCHMARK : SPECIALTY TRANSACTION GUIDE
We compare our FOB prices to others for the same quality using the data from the Specialty Coffee Transaction guide. It collects relevant reference prices for differentiated specialty coffees and groups it based on quality among other categories. Albeit it is limitations, it offers a pretty realistic benchmark on what others paid for the same quality and where we stand in this playground although it does not differentiate between Arabica and Robusta

FINANCIAL IMPACT

We took the prices of these kilograms to measure the financial impact on the ground.

GEEMENTE AMSTERDAM PROJECTS

Overview of the origins that were used to create Mokum and Braine

Partner: Capricornio
14 farmers, 270 workers
308 bags consumed by Mokum and Braine*
50% for Mokum and 30% for Braine

An in-depth look at the origins that were used to create Mokum and Braine

After the genocide ended, leaving behind widows, displaced and separated families, single mothers, children at risk, poor sanitary and health measurements, hunger, vulnerability, and trauma - Rwandas government began implementing a restoration project to bring unity to the population. Abakundakawa Rushashi was born from these efforts. However, it was not until 2012, when its former manager and lifelong coffee farmer Antoine Kagenza took over the management of the cooperative, that specialty and quality coffee was taught and spread over the 17 districts that form it.

Over the past years, Abakundakawa has significantly grown, attracting more farmers to produce specialty coffee and carefully developing a savings and credit system that offers economic security to its members. In 1999, the cooperative started with 103 members. Today it is formed by 2109 farmers, of which 919 are women, and 477 are youth. In 17 villages in Gakenke district, they supported the creation and development of two women in coffee groups: Duhingekawa and Abanyameraka, as well as the Ishema Youth Coffee Group, also conformed mostly of women (from the 477 farmers 289 are women), developed thanks to an initiative that came from Rutabo farmers when they noticed the alarming reality on the ground.

In Rwanda, 80% of the farmers are elderly, unemployment is high (24%), and the risk of joining gangs is also quite elevated. "The options young people have are limited," shares Antoine. "A young man can help their parents with their lands, migrate to the city, or join the army. A young woman can marry, migrate to the city (and usually work in sex services), or become a sewer or a hairdresser."

Access to a bigger and broader market, such as Radboud, helped Abakundakawa to develop this much-needed coffee group that also serves as a solution to one of the biggest challenges in coffee: the generational gap. By actively engaging the youth in coffee, production increases for everyone. The most labor-intensive chores rely on the youth. The elder also chose to leave the land to them, increasing the productivity of each tree. The Ishema Youth Coffee Group started in 2016 with 63 members. Today, 477 young farmers are part of this group. They learn credit, savings, administration, and, mostly, coffee.

New to working hard on the social impact, This Side Up and Abakundakawa Rushashi have been working hard on implementing ecological friendly farming practices. Read more about our regenerative project at Rushashi here.

In northern Tanzania, This Side Up works with local origin partner Wanza, run by Frank Mlay and Rebecca Trupin, to connect smallholder coffee producers around Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru with international specialty markets. Through this collaboration, Wanza works closely with several farmer groups—including Aranga, Marangu, Masista and Amkeni—whose members cultivate coffee on small plots at elevations between approximately 1,200 and 1,700 meters.

In a sector where coffee is commonly marketed through large cooperative unions and the national auction system, these groups represent a less common model of farmer-led organisations with a higher degree of autonomy. Producers organise themselves in smaller associations that retain decision-making power over production practices, quality development, and collective investments.

Working alongside Wanza, these farmer organisations gain access to international markets while maintaining their independence. Activities such as transparent price discussions, shared quality evaluation through cupping sessions, and improvements in drying and processing practices strengthen farmers’ understanding of quality and their position within the value chain.

For the Municipality of Amsterdam, continuing this sourcing relationship supports farmer agency, inclusive governance, and diversified market access in Tanzania’s coffee sector—contributing to a supply chain that strengthens rural livelihoods while encouraging long-term resilience and quality development.

In the Temanggung region of Central Java, the Kojoyo cooperative and the Candiroto farmer group are using specialty coffee as a pathway for economic and social transformation. Founded in 2019 by Wahyu Setiono, Kojoyo works with smallholder farmers across several districts to develop higher-value coffee production through improved processing, quality control, and cooperative organisation.

The initiative has helped farmers transition from declining or environmentally damaging crops such as tobacco toward more sustainable coffee cultivation. At the same time, the cooperative has created opportunities for rural employment, youth participation, and even the rehabilitation of formerly radicalised individuals through agricultural livelihoods and coffee tourism initiatives.

Through partnerships with local groups such as the Candiroto producers led by Cahyo Pertama, farmers collaborate on soil health, organic fertilizer production, and processing innovation. By linking these farmer organisations to international markets through long-term trade relationships, the project strengthens rural incomes while encouraging regenerative farming practices and community-led development.

For the Municipality of Amsterdam, continuing this sourcing relationship supports a value chain where coffee functions not only as an agricultural product but as a practical tool for rural resilience, environmental recovery, and inclusive economic participation.

Capricornio Coffees is an exporter that works closely with farmers in Brazil by offering them agronomical support to help them develop the best quality every season. This creates the upward cycle of better quality which influences the market to pay better prices and foster quality investments back on the farm. Through their “Four Seasons” program, they offer technical assistance which also includes behavioral changes of the farmers. It is a first step to help farmers move from producing commodity to specialty coffee. This program supports the farmers during harvesting and post harvesting activities, but as the name says: it supports in all the four seasons.

Moving from commodity to better paying and “pride enticing” specialty coffee, farmers gain headspace to care about the well being of the earth and community whilst producing their coffees. They move out of a “survival state”. Capricornio also works in a number of social projects locally to empower certain groups that are often vulnerable to climate change. Women in Coffee (WIC) is one such project that is also supported by This Side Up. Women from 69 small farms in Brazil are empowered by Capricornio through knowledge, know-hows and market connections to produce high quality coffees which could be recurringly commercialized. This Side Up has been working with WIC to also help them find direct roaster relationships so they can be provided with recurring contracts. Zwart’s Coffee, the roaster of the Amsterdam blend, is one of such partners.

Capricornio’s key focus area also lies in regenerative agriculture. They have been developing regenerative solutions towards combatting against pests like borer which is a common issue regarding plant health. The Brazilian coffees in the Amsterdam blend is supplied by some women from the Mulheres de Matao group and Fazenda California The Amsterdam blend typically consists of about 50% Brazilian arabicas for Mokum and 30% for Braine.