- The Grocer -
The boss of international gourmet coffee giant illycaffè has slammed the Fairtrade label for being unsustainable and failing to promote quality.
The boss of international gourmet coffee giant illycaffè has slammed the Fairtrade label for being unsustainable and failing to promote quality.
Andrea Illy, chief executive and chairman of the Italian brand, said his company would not sign up to the Fairtrade mark, and insisted his company's approach - to reward growers with premium prices for improved coffee beans - was more beneficial to developing countries.
"Fairtrade raises awareness of the plight of coffee growers, and creates a sense of responsibility from retailers and producers, but it is not sustainable," he said.
"To be sustainable a product must promote good value and quality. The consumer purchasing Fairtrade coffee does not get better flavour, but pays more for the same quality."
This made buying Fairtrade products "charity", he claimed. "Our philosophy is we pay you more if you give us more. We work with our growers to improve their cultivating skills, and we reward them with premium prices for high quality coffee beans. If they take their beans to a conventional market they also get a higher price because of improved quality."
illycaffè buys direct from growers in Brazil, Central America and Africa.
A Fairtrade spokeswoman said: "The Fairtrade minimum price exists to ensure farmers are not forced into selling coffee below the cost of sustainable production. Unless they can earn enough from selling coffee, many small scale growers struggle to invest in quality improvements. It is this vicious circle that Fairtrade can help to break."