A globally conscious coffee boutique nestled in the heart of downtown Phoenix supports direct-trade and fair treatment of foreign growers, one pound of coffee at a time.
Cartel Coffee Lab, located on First and Washington streets, employs trade practices that exceed minimums set by fair trade standards.
“Every bean that we buy is above fair trade price,” said Adam Reeder, executive chef at Cartel in Phoenix. “It allows us to get the best product and just really treat people the right way.”
The coffee shop pays two to five cents more per pound of coffee than standards require, said Casey Hopkins, a barista at Cartel.
Julie Erfani, associate professor of political science at ASU, said this kind of trade ensures environmentally friendly production, a higher quality product and a sustainable living wage for growers.
Erfani has taken two trips with students to Oaxaca, Mexico, to witness trade practices first-hand.
“Direct trade producers have a relationship with their buyer based on respect and sustainability,” she said.
Direct trade also provides a healthier coffee product because the buyer and grower often agree to minimize the use of pesticides and herbicides, Erfani said.
The majority of large coffee corporations follow a different trade philosophy based on buying larger quantities at cheaper prices, she said. This minimizes cost while maximizing profit, but it is not sustainable.
Cartel is a member of a group of third party coffee companies, or local roasters, who trade on the same level and have similar mindsets when it comes to importing.
“It is a meeting of the minds in a sense,” Reeder said. “We actually go to the farmer — there is no middle man.”
Knox Kimberly occasionally comes to Cartels’ downtown location with his coworkers. He said he supports their efforts to provide a living wage to coffee producers.
“I really appreciate that kind of social stewardship,” he said.
Hopkins said Cartel strives to have a hand in every step of the coffee-making process, which, in turn, improves quality.
“We are involved from seed to cup,” Hopkins said.
The company encourages long-term employees to visit the growers in Central and South America so they can witness and appreciate the harvesting process, she said.
“We have been to visit over half the farms where we source our beans,” Hopkins said. “We have maybe even picked a few berries.”
Cartel fosters a sense of employee education on-site as well, Hopkins said. The vast majority of baristas go through a month-long internship process before they are allowed to make drinks at the bar.
“It is an ongoing educational experience,” she said.
Hopkins said she is especially appreciative of the measures Cartel takes to purchase organic products from animal cruelty-free producers, because she is vegan.
“I feel like I am able to participate with a clear conscience,” she said.
Cartel encourages customers to sit down, relax and enjoy the ambiance, Hopkins said. In some cases it is mandatory.
“You can’t order anything smaller than a latte to go,” she said. “Just take a few minutes to really enjoy something that we have taken a lot of time and put a lot of thought into.”
Cartel currently has locations in Tempe, Phoenix and Tucson, but Reeder said they plan to expand in the future.
Reeder said he is excited for what the future has in store.
“We are always looking to push the envelope on the coffee business,” he said. “We want to make sure that every time we put a product out that it is the best product on the market.”
Contact the reporter at jordan.frakes@asu.edu
