Doing business with a sustainable heart

09 June, 2022 3 min read

At Jasper Coffee, we’re aware that the quality of soil, air, water and viability of people are the essence of sustainability. It’s why we’ve consciously embedded these aspects in our business.

With this in mind, we wanted to share some of the projects we’re proud to have been part of over the years – from helping to build up community capacity to participating in Fairtrade initiatives to combat the issue of child slavery. Not to beat our own chests, but rather so you know more about who you’re in business with as a Jasper Coffee customer. 


1989 (through to 2000)

Supported many local school sponsorships and funded Childrens Farm sponsorships

2000

Purchased a Lilla Roaster, the most energy efficient roasting equipment of its kind

2003

Jasper Coffee becomes certified organic with Australian Certified Organic (ACO)

2003

Started using Fairtrade organic coffees from East Timor and Costa Rica 

2005

Became the founding member of the newFairtrade Association of Australia and New Zealand

2005

IntroducedCafé Femenino from Peru in 2005 and, at the beginning, bought 50% of their crop

2005 (through to present)

Supported Café Femenino through funding various projects including water purification, new buildings and food relief during the pandemic

2007

Partnered withWorld Vision to help a small cooperative in Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia

2007 – 2014

Self-imposed a levy on the sale of Yirgacheffe,Ethiopia, and sent $98,000 over 7 years to help elevate producers and their families out of poverty 

2007 – 2016

Our co-founder, Wells, visited Ethiopia three times to build relationships with two coops in Yirgacheffe and Sidamo

2008

Started buying Honduras Fairtrade coffee

2008

Partnered with an NGO to help a small group of young people in Cambodia, including the training of baristas and equipment servicing

2010

Sponsored an agronomist to the coop in Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia, to appraise their agronomy habits and recommend initiatives

2011

Sponsored the Honduras coop business manager to Melbourne for skills development, including corporate presenting at PWC and RMIT

2011 -2014 

Jasper Fairtradeinstant coffee served on 66% of Australia’s domestic airlines

2012 

Introduced compostable packaging for our instant coffee and our 1kg packs

2013 

Funded the Honduras coop bank debt so they could regain another finance loan 

2014 

Sponsored $7,000 towards the reclamation effort of the Honduras coop to rebuild their farms after La Roya fungus devastated their crop by 80% 

2015

LaunchedRed Dust the Coffee blend with the NGO Outback Academy to fund the Red Dust Healing program for young Indigenous people

2016

Funded a soap making facility for the Ethiopian Sidamo co-op

2016 

The first to introduce Fairtrade Organic cocoa,drinking chocolate,sugar andinstant coffee to Australia 

2018

Visited East Timor and committed to co-fund a birthing clinic annexe for the co-op

2018

Granted permission to visit our Fairtrade co-op in Colombia

2020

Introduced compostable capsules to market

2020

Introduced the first plastic-free take away cups to Australia

2021 

Funded $13,000 to assist the Honduras co-op in the wake of two devastating hurricanes

2021

Launched a GO FUND ME campaign to raise $20,000 to help the Honduras co-op’s rectification program 

There’s more to come and we look forward to sharing the stories of our people and producers, and their communities, with you. If you’re keen to learn more about the work we do, read on regardingsustainability, or see some of our Faitrade stories fromColombia,Ethiopia,Papua New Guinea, andEast Timor.