Sustainable Coffee at Radboudumc with Selecta and This Side Up

Introduction

In collaboration with Selecta, This Side Up, a social enterprise focused on fair trade coffee, now supplies sustainable coffee to Radboudumc, the university medical center in Nijmegen. This partnership strengthens a transparent, fair, and sustainable coffee supply chain, ensuring that coffee farmers receive a liveable income.

Challenge

Radboudumc seeks a sustainable coffee solution that meets their taste and price preferences while also positively impacting the coffee's origin and production.

This blend is crafted to ensure consistent flavor, allowing Radboudumc to support various farmers who gain both financial and social benefits from this blend.
– Maarten van Keulen
Matchmaker
This Side Up

Solution

Selecta introduced Radboudumc to This Side Up, which sources coffee directly from farmers in fifteen countries, focusing on fair prices and a transparent supply chain. A unique coffee blend was created specifically for Radboudumc in collaboration with Zwart's Coffee roastery. This blend combines beans from South America with the complexity of Fine Robusta from Indonesia and the intensity of washed coffee beans from East Africa. The result is a balanced coffee with chocolate notes, fruitiness, and a robust body.

Results

  • Fair Prices: Coffee farmers receive up to 61% more than the average commodity price, helping them improve their living conditions and invest in regenerative agriculture. This contributes to the well-being of the farmers and the preservation of their communities.
  • Sustainability: The direct collaboration with farmers eliminates unnecessary intermediaries in the supply chain, leading to a more efficient and fairer distribution of coffee. This Side Up negotiates contracts directly with the farmers after determining what constitutes a living wage in that specific production country. Thanks to this direct approach, Radboudumc and Selecta could pay the farmers a transparent price that supports their livelihoods in their production country.
  • Custom Blend: The specially crafted coffee blend for Radboudumc meets their taste and price requirements while simultaneously having a positive impact on the farmers involved. By choosing this sustainable coffee solution, Radboudumc contributes to a better future for the entire coffee supply chain.

After a public tender, Radboudumc chose a sustainable coffee solution from This Side Up. In collaboration with Zwart’s Coffee roastery, we developed a coffee blend that meets Radboudumc’s taste and price preferences.
– Sjoerd Homminga
Procurement Leader
Selecta Benelux

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