Café 1505 has teamed up with Equal Exchange – a cooperative promoting Fair Trade and organic production methods – to ensure that all coffee they serve is ethically sourced.
Now, those enjoying their caffeine fix at the Old Town café can enjoy the added bonus of knowing they are helping female farmers put an end to inequality through the cooperative’s Grown by Women coffee range.
Grown by Women coffee helps female farmers in Peru and Mexico.
The Equal Exchange range recognises and supports the vital role of female farmers in Peru and Mexico – many of whom are left out of decision-making processes despite undertaking the majority of farm work.
Equal Exchange aims to develop gender policies that will allow women to become cooperative members – working in areas where it is often illegal for women to own their own farmland.
It works with women at all stages of the supply chain to allow marginalised farmers to compete in competitive markets and earn a fair wage for their produce.
Not only that, Café 1505 say coffee drinkers will still also be helping to improve surgical standards worldwide, as the eatery's profits go into the Royal College of
Surgeons of Edinburgh's (RCSEd) Global Surgery Foundation.
Established in 2015 in response to growing inequalities in surgical care across the developing world, the foundation aims to alleviate the fact that some 5 billion people have no access to safe surgical care.
The College works with partners across Sub-Saharan Africa to improve training and development of surgeons in country, as well as building sustainable care in communities and investing in long term projects that ensure medical capacity can grow.
Scott Mitchell, managing director of Surgeons Quarter, said: “Women play a crucial role in food production chains and yet their contribution is often not recognised. We’re supporting Equal Exchange as they’re working to put that right.
“Equal Exchange’s ethos aligns directly with the ambitions of Surgeons
Quarter’s as, the extra income that comes from the Fairtrade premium is enabling local communities to invest in vital initiatives such as mobile health clinics.
“These days consumers can be guilty of not questioning where their food comes from but all of the produce sourced by Equal Exchange can be traced back to its roots, ensuring that farmers are fairly rewarded for their work.”
