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Disability-inclusive chain of coffee enters its third phase
First ever disability-inclusive chain of coffee enters its third phase
4 July 2019
The Lucy Foundation today
launched a new PledgeMe campaign to grow what they believe
to be the very first disability-inclusive value chain of
coffee in the world - from the farmer in Mexico, to the
consumer in New Zealand.
The Foundation, which started
as a dream in the Waikato over five years ago, is now in its
third phase. The third phase will focus on increasing
employment opportunities for disabled people within the
coffee industry, while scaling the coffee supply chain to a
sustainable business model.
“In 2014 we started
with a seed idea, and thanks to the support of friends and
family that seed grew into a seedling project,” says Dr.
Robbie Francis, who lives with a disability herself and is
co-founder and director of The Lucy Foundation.
“Now we're calling on our supporters to help us
grow the Pluma Coffee Project into a thriving social
enterprise.”
The Foundation is currently working
with the local community in a small indigenous village,
Pluma Hidalgo, in Oaxaca, Mexico. The Foundation are
awaiting their latest shipment of a unique heirloom varietal
of Pluma coffee to New Zealand.
Coffee produced by
local farmers is purchased by The Lucy Foundation and
processed by disabled people and their families before being
exported to New Zealand. Pluma coffee is rare in New Zealand
and this shipment will be the largest to date, with an
expected 400+ kilos.
"Once in New Zealand, The Lucy
Foundation partners with other organisations such as John
Burton Ltd, Able Coffee Collaborative, Coffee Educators and
Colab Cafe - who also support disability rights, inclusion
and access - to roast, market and sell the coffee, thus
completing the inclusive value chain."
The PledgeMe
campaign launched today and will run for three weeks.
“We are looking to raise $8,000 for this next
phase” says Jessica Sanders, co-founder of The Lucy
Foundation.
“This isn’t just about bringing
coffee into New Zealand. It is about the grassroots work
back on the ground in Pluma as well as when the coffee
arrives in New Zealand. Every step of the process is
inclusive of people with disabilities and we are so very
proud of that.”
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