As a company that cares for our environment and makes efforts to reduce our impact we want to decarbonise our supply chain as much as feasibly possible but we also want to control who we spend company funds with. Choosing where we purchase goods and services is how a business votes for the supply chain it wants to operate in; by choosing to ship coffee by fossil-fueled ships we are voting for a world continuing to extract fossil fuels and increase carbon emissions.

Despite the overwhelming benefits to shipping by sail it is not without its challenges. Humans have been moving cargo across the oceans under power of the wind since at least 1600 BC, yet today with all our technology, access to finance and willingness to decarbonise, shipping by sail is still very difficult.

Port operations are set up for standardised container handling, which makes the whole process of loading, shipping and onward journeys inherently efficient, not to mention cost effective (full sailship pricing report coming soon). Though shipping prices change frequently, to ship a Full Container Load (FCL) of 19,200kg of green coffee from Brazil to the UK would cost circa £2000, resulting in a per kg price of £0.10. The same volume of coffee in the largest sail ship would cost £1.20 per kg, and that cost would rise to £4 per kg in the smaller, independent sail ships; an increase of 4000%. For a relatively cheap commodity like coffee this could result in an increase to the cost price of up to 80%, compared to a more expensive product like rum (also shipping from the Caribbean), where shipping may only account for 10% of the cost price.

Shipping by sail produces approximately 13g CO2e per KG of coffee, compared to 80g CO2e of traditional cargo shipping. Of course, there are some elements of this journey taken by truck, (from mills to ports) but we can confidently say all available low carbon transit has been taken. On top of the coffee coming via sail, its them been collected by our electric vans which are charged off renewables at the farm.

The final part of the coffee journey is then the roasting and packing. We are proud to have installed an electric roaster from Typhoon, again this is powered on recyclables on site. Finally, this Sailship release will coincide with us making the move back to 100% recyclable paper packaging. Last year our paper supplier fell into liquidation, and it has been a labour of love to find a replacement, but we are beyond excited to be providing plastic free packaging again. From start to finish we have done our utmost to ensure that as little carbon emissions are released from this transit.

By choosing sail, we are making a conscious decision to spend money with companies that take direct climate action. This journey has been made possible through a community of people who are dedicating their lives to more sustainable and fairer business, bringing together farmers, ships & buyers, whilst putting people and planet first.

We see sail ship as a marker for transparency and ethos. A lot of that comes down to the people involved but it also comes down to nature as well. In the 8 hour sail from Plymouth, I think we saw over 7 pods of dolphins, tuna and seals - I couldn’t help but think about the horrendous impact containing shipping has on those animals - just the noise alone would be a problem but Maritime transport is responsible for 3% of global CO2 emissions. It is also responsible for 20% of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions worldwide.

Tojtik coffee is the result of the efforts and dedication of the Asociación de Productores de Acatenango.The word Tojtik refers to the roots of the Acatenango community, meaning "ours," in their language, which reflects the co-operation, and hard work of all these small coffee producers.
Grown in nutrient-rich volcanic soils using sustainable agricultural practices, this coffee is certified organic, guaranteeing a crop and product free of synthetic chemicals, respecting biodiversity and promoting the natural balance of the ecosystem. Acatenango producers also implement a high standard of environmental practices to conserve their resources and offer a coffee of exceptional quality, with a flavor profile that reflects the purity and richness of the land.

The coffee is now on pre-sale, and available to order ahead of launching. As a thank you to those who preorder, we have also added a 10% discount (RRP £15) so grab the deal while you can. Check out the product here.