PEOPLES COFFEE FOR THE PEOPLE

Peoples Co ee recently launched a PledgeMe campaign with the goal to raise $500,000 to $1.5 million in order to grow its national footprint – and global impact – 18 years after roasting its first co ee beans. Completely ahead of its time in being organic and sustainable from day one, it’s sticking to its ethical guns and inviting its tribe to invest in the company as it looks to more than double production at its HQ in Wellington. Founded in 2004 by Matt Lamason, Peoples sources only organic Fair Trade beans to make its co ee, and it was the first New Zealand food and beverage business to be B-Corp-certified.

Its decision to prioritise people within its business has also seen it return nearly $400,000 in social and organic premiums (money paid voluntarily over and above the set Fair Trade price) to its growers in communities located in places such as Ethiopia and Honduras over the last three years. Lamason says Peoples came into the world to make a di erence. He started the company after becoming disheartened by the way the traditional co ee industry operates, disempowering co ee farmers and their communities. “We’ve been championing small-scale co ee farmers and their communities worldwide for 18 years,” Lamason says “The simple act of making a hot drink can directly influence the lives of the people who grow co ee beans. By selling more Peoples co ee, we will return more in organic and social premiums to our farmers; this is just the beginning of our growth plans. We would love to take the Peoples movement o shore and expand our o ering. But first, we need to grow our tribe and our footprint in New Zealand.

“By choosing to raise funds through PledgeMe, we’re staying true to our roots ‘by the people, for the people’. It’s important for us to grow our impact by growing our tribe. With strength in numbers, we can have an even more meaningful impact on the co ee industry while more people enjoy sustainable, organic, epic co ee.” peoplesco ee.co.nz