2023 Seeds Fund Recipient
The Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers' Cooperative Union (YCFCU) has been awarded a 2023 Seeds grant to address a crucial issue within their organization: the lack of restroom facilities. In addition to complying with Fairtrade standards, Ethiopian labor regulations, and the UN’s sustainable development goal of ending open defecation by 2030, these facilities promote equitable sanitation, hygiene, and dignity for all.
The grant will be used to construct two restroom facilities at two cooperatives. These facilities will enhance general hygiene, prevent diseases, and eliminate the practice of open defecation, particularly significant during coffee harvesting when around 60 temporary workers, mostly women, are employed daily. These new facilities will not only safeguard employees but also foster a conducive working environment while contributing to community health and environmental well-being.
Seeds Program
Counter Culture Coffee collects $0.01 from every pound of coffee sold to fund our Seeds program. Annually, $1 per pound of our winter coffee blend, Iridescent, goes to further increase our contribution. Seeds offers financial grants to producers and producer organizations we work with to implement sustainability projects they identify as beneficial. To date, we’ve allocated over $450,000 to Seeds projects.