the challenge
We found that even with a premium on top of market or local prices, often ecological upgrades come last in the priority list of producers, because of more pressing issues like economic deficits, quality upgrades or social projects. By adding a very small premium to roaster prices, six, hardly noticeable cents, we build a small, yet potentially far-reaching piggybank that is earmarked exclusively for ecological upgrades. On top of this, by showing that this money is not just hypothetical but there for the taking, we provide incentive for producers to think about what regenerative agriculture means to them, and how they want to push it forward in their specific context.
WHERE: Nicaragua, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia.
WHAT: To provide an additional and ongoing investment incentive for our partner producers in regenerative agriculture.
WHO: All of This Side Up’s origin partners.
Goals
To incentivise thinking about regenerative agriculture at grassroots level.
To make investment into regen ag an intrinsic part of coffee trade.
To show how cheap working with, as opposed to against nature actually is, in other words: what the repercussions are of a few cents towards changing minds, lives and the environment.
Total investment (up to July 2024)
Investment Overview
Here is an oversight of all the projects started or supported because of our regenerative premium.
The total amount designated year to date per country is listed below.
Rwanda Rushashi
€ 4.662
Premium used for: supporting the regeneration and diversification of smallholder plots as an alternative to organic certification.
Myanmar Hopong
€ 1.886
Premium used for: Transition to organic agriculture and research into alternative coffee species and varieties.
indonesia ontosoroh
€ 9,191
Premium used for: building drying domes in 8 villages in Flores to tackle the quality problems arising especially due to drying conditions.
brazil capricornio
€ 29,241
Premium used for: researching and implementing cover crop mixes in a novel system that Capricornio calls “Integrated Pest Management”
kenya sakami
€ 2,466
Premium used for: planting 3000 indigenous trees to replace non-native eucalyptus to create a buffer zone along the river in one of Sakami's farms (Sabata)
tanzania wanza
€ 1.962
Premium used for: contributing towards employing an agronomist / extension officer for technical assistance year round.
congo cpnck
€720
Premium used for: buying beehives and distributing them to Ngula washing station members, coupled with training on beekeeping.
COLOMBIA ARGOTE
€ 2.221
Premium used for: supporting the agroforestry hub previously built in cooperation with TSU and other partners, e.g. by inviting Jairo Restrepo Rivera of “La Mierda de Vaca” to conduct a workshop on regenerative agriculture.
congo raek
€ 1.152
Premium used for: Installation of 4 pilot nurseries based on agroecology principles in Bugorhe, Luhihi, Bushumba and Miti to explore solutions for soil degradation caused by erosion and improve production.
peru churupampa
€ 1.946
Premium used for: Implement production of mountain microorganisms in plant fertilizer, to generate a higher quality product (fertilizer) that promotes sustainable agriculture, efficient use of organic waste by applying circular economy principles.