SUSTAINABILITY

Mexico is famous for its organic coffee, grown mainly by indigenous producers on small plots of land. 
To protect producers from exploitation and promote education and healthcare, the cooperative structure of fair trade brings considerable advantages. 

La Semeuse works mainly with the Cabonoch cooperative, located in the highlands of the Chiapas region of southern Mexico.
The altitude and mild temperatures of this region provide ideal conditions for growing coffee.

The country is one of the largest producers in Central America and is characterised by a large number of small farms run by indigenous families. Price fluctuations, political instability and migration make the work of small-scale producers extremely difficult.

La Semeuse works with the Asproguate cooperative, made up mainly of women who are involved in coffee growing.

The "Fuerza de Mujer" programme provides additional support for women producers by giving them access to training in finance, health and nutrition.

Colombia is known for the diversity of its products, and is the world's third-largest producer of coffee.

La Semeuse works in direct collaboration with the Entre Sierras cooperative, located in the heart of one of the oldest coffee forests in the country.

Founded in 2008, the cooperative initially had fewer than 20 small producers. Through its direct support, La Semeuse has contributed to the development of the cooperative and to improving organic farming techniques.

Peru is the world's largest producer of organic coffee. Coffee is grown in the traditional way on small farms, and harvested by hand.
Constant investment in quality over recent years has enabled the cooperatives to increase their coffee sales. 

La Semeuse was one of the first roasters to introduce Fairtrade coffee from Peru to Switzerland. The coffee selected by La Semeuse comes from the CEPRO Yanesha cooperative in Villa Rica and is certified according to strict Bio Suisse guidelines.

The cooperative is mainly made up of members of the Yanesha indigenous group. They traditionally grow their produce without any synthetic fertilisers.

Brazil is the world's largest producer of coffee, with large areas under conventional cultivation. Coffee is often grown as a monoculture and harvested by machine, on vast tracts of land and without the presence of other plant species.

Growing sustainable coffee in small family structures remains rare. Less than 1% of the coffee grown in Brazil is certified organic. 

However, La Semeuse has made some exciting discoveries by working closely with the Cafesul and Coorpol cooperatives.

Arabica coffee originates in Africa. Currently, La Semeuse does not source products directly from Africa for its Bio-Éthique line.

However, the Perle de Café range, with Rwanda BIO and Ethiopia BIO, offers two high-quality sustainable products from East Africa.

Indian coffee is renowned for its frothy finish. Once harvested, the coffee is exposed to the moist monsoon winds and dried. This process naturally gives it unique characteristics: less acidity and a uniquely spicy flavour.

In India, organic farming is not widespread in cooperative structures. However, the Mass cooperative in the Malabar/Kerala region is an exception. La Semeuse is proud to have been able to select and process this coffee from India using the principles of organic farming and fair trade.

The country has a long tradition of growing coffee. Coffee trees often grow in the shade of other plant species in the heart of tropical forests with a rich biodiversity.  Protecting flora and fauna is all the more essential as it guarantees a long-term quality of life for producers. 
A balance of taste and conscience, Indonesian organic coffee from the xy ? cooperative gives Soleil-Levant its harmony and pleasant notes of lemon and orange blossom. The product has been Bio Fairtrade certified for over thirty years.

⇒ Learn more about Fairtrade (in french)