Impact Report 2024
2024 was a powerful reminder of why we started Coffee Circle: to build a business that serves people and the planet. Until today, that purpose guides the decisions we make. Thanks to our customers and partners, we invested more than € 450,000 into projects that reached over 75,000 people in coffee-growing regions. From clean water systems in Ethiopia to empowering coffee communities worldwide and pioneering research for the future of coffee: every project carried the same spirit of lasting change, built on trust.
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"We didn’t want to build just another coffee company. We wanted to build one that gives more than it takes.” - Martin Elwert, Coffee Circle CEO
Impact through sourcing
- Fair prices: The average price paid for green coffee in 2024 was $ 3.20/lb, which is well above the global market price of $ 2.29/lb, ensuring fairer compensation at origin. We consistently pay well above global market and Fairtrade minimums.
- Long-term partnerships: 78.8 % of the coffee sourced came from „model relationships“ – partnerships built on trust and shared values over two or more years.
- High quality: The total volume of the coffee we sourced in 2024 reached an average cupping score of 84.2.
- Sourcing in conflict regions: 65.5 % of the coffee we sourced was grown in regions facing conflict or instability (including Ethiopia, DR Congo, and Colombia), making the partnerships even more meaningful for community resilience.
- Volume: 269,478 kg of green coffee was sourced from 13 origin countries.
- Producers: In 2024, we worked with 39 producers to bring 26 different coffees to life.
Impact through the Coffee Circle Foundation e.V.
- Total funds committed in 2024: € 450,000 was committed and fully invested in Foundation projects, including financing new and continuing existing collaborations.
- Total people reached in 2024: Our 2024 initiatives created lasting, sustainable benefits for over 75,000 people in coffee-growing regions.
- Focus areas: Our projects focus on three core pillars: Health (clean water, sanitation), Education, and Sustainable Coffee Agriculture.
- Key partner milestones in 2024:
- WaSH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene): Marked 10 years of partnership with Welthungerhilfe, benefiting over 50,000 people throughout the decade. In 2024 alone, 19,000 people benefited from improved WaSH infrastructure in the Jimma zone of Ethiopia.
- Women empowerment: Supported Rebuild Women’s Hope (DR Congo) with a focus on sexual and reproductive health education, directly impacting 4,414 people and reaching an estimated 38,300 through radio and community outreach.
- Climate resilience: Continued annual commitment to World Coffee Research (€ 50,000 in 2024) to support the development of climate-resilient coffee varieties and a variety selection platform for farmers.
- Farmer livelihoods: Supported the Bblo Kawa cooperative in close partnership with Rikolto in Ituri, DR Congo, which increased coffee yields by 145 %, diversified incomes for 1,531 farmers and created access to financing by establishing 14 village savings and loan associations and building reliable connections to the market.
- Resuming of the projects selected for the Coffee Vision Fund I, which specialise in aspects of the mentioned milestones, such as farmer empowerment, education and climate resilience.
“Every cup of Lake Kivu helps us grow: our coffee, our health, our future.” — Marceline Budza, Chairwoman of Rebuild Women’s Hope Cooperative
Looking ahead
- Future plans: We will be expanding the WaSH project in Ethiopia and launch the Coffee Circle Vision Fund II in the fall of 2025. So stay tuned, and in the meantime, relax with a sip of coffee.
We’re proud of everything we’ve achieved together and even more excited about what lies ahead.
Explore personal stories from our inspiring partners and discover how collaboration and shared commitment sparks sustainable change.
Dive into the full Impact Report and see what happens when great coffee creates meaningful impact.
