Coffee Quality Institute And Falcon Coffees Announce Donation Program
ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (August 27, 2020) The Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) and Falcon Coffees announced a new approach resulting in ongoing financial support. Falcon Coffees will donate five cents of the sales price of every pound of specialty green coffee through its North American sales unit.
“To be clear, this isn’t Falcon raising prices, we’re taking a portion of our revenue and investing it back into the Coffee Quality Institute,” said Konrad Brits, Falcon Coffees Founder. “CQI is a legacy organization that provides enormous value to the global coffee community through the Q lexicon of language and the Q Grader program. It is a living ecosystem that provides value recognition through the hierarchy of coffee quality and professional qualification. Specialty coffee relies on CQI, and without it we would return to the days of commodity trading where quality is subjective and price premiums to origin are eroded.”
Support from Falcon will translate into better outcomes in coffee producing communities.
“This is a significant partnership for CQI, as it will provide a new source of funding to amplify our mission,” said Tina Yerkes, CEO of the Coffee Quality Institute. “Not just because of the financial support, which is necessary for CQI to continue to provide the value we have for twenty years, but because Falcon is tangibly investing in CQI because it relates directly to their own business goals and those of the coffee industry at large. The Q grading and processing system, and our education system as a whole- relates directly to better outcomes for producers and therefore a more sustainable coffee industry.”
Since 1996, Coffee Quality Institute has worked to improve the quality of coffee and the lives of people who produce it. Quality is one of the most important variables that influence a coffee’s value. However, many producers do not have access to the tools and support they need to understand the quality of their coffee, improve that quality, access markets that reward that quality, ultimately enabling them to make more informed business choices.
“Like so many in the coffee industry, CQI has faced serious financial challenges due to the pandemic,” Yerkes added. “Falcon Coffees’ commitment will not only help us weather that storm, but more importantly it will allow us to focus unrestricted resources where they are needed the most – education projects at origin. As a nonprofit, 501(c)3, CQI depends, in part, on charitable giving from the coffee industry to deliver our mission. Falcon’s support will be part of a fund that allows us to increase impact in origin countries and support the Q Community as a whole.
Coffee Quality Institute is a non-profit organization working internationally to improve the quality of coffee and the lives of the people who produce it. Interested in helping CQI deliver its mission and being a part of positive impact on coffee producers? Contact Coffee Quality Institute or click here for more information.
Falcon Coffees’ mission is to change the way coffee is traded, for good. Falcon Coffees is a green coffee importing company focused on ethically sourcing specialty coffees, from 21 different origins on behalf of 500 clients in 46 consuming countries. Falcon Coffees has representation at origin in Peru, Ethiopia, and Rwanda, and the North American headquarters is based in Austin, Texas and holds specialty spot inventory in Oakland and New York, shipping anywhere in North America.
For More Information: kschrader@coffeeinstitute.org
