Our vision and methodology
Our vision
The DE Foundation works towards a “healthy coffee sector” in which:
- Farmers have a decent income and a future in growing coffee;
- Industry has access to sufficient volumes of sustainable coffees of desired qualities from a wide range of origins; and
- Farmers, industry and other stakeholders collaborate on common social, economic and environmental issues in a stimulating and enabling environment.
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Why does the sector need "Professional and proud farmers connected to sustainable markets"? Farmers: Small-scale farmers produce the majority of globally available coffee. they are least equipped to deal with the sustainability challenges that the coffee sector faces and that may negatively affect coffee supply. Professional: Professional farmers adept their way of working to developments in their surroundings and are well positioned to capitise on opportunities. Proud: Proud farmers are aware of what they have achieved and are committed to invest in the future of their farms and their families. Connected: To be succesful and sustain their businesses, farmers need to work in close connection to their community and their business partners. Sustainable markets: Sustainable markets are markets where quality and sustainability are recognised and rewarded. |
Our mission
The DE Foundation sees “professional and proud farmers connected to sustainable markets” as the basis for a “healthy coffee sector”.
Our approach
We initiate and implement projects together with small-scale coffee farmers, traders, governments and NGOs in a wide range of coffee origins. Core activities in our projects are:
- Establish farmer organizations to help farmers benefit from economies of scale
- Professionalization of farming by training farmers in Good Agricultural and Processing Practices
- Work towards certification with farmers as a qualification of their professionalism that is recognized in the market
- Help farmers reap a higher share of the export price by improving market access and logistics
- Work to increase resilience of farms, amongst others by stimulating diversification of income
- Connect farmers to providers of inputs, credit and information.
Projects
To further sustainability of mainstream coffee & tea, DE Foundation executes projects all around the globe, working in particular with small-scale producers.
About DE Foundation
The DE Foundation was established by Sara Lee in 2002 as an independent foundation.The Board comprises of 5 members, all of whom have a passion for sustainability.