When we started Siren Grounds, we wanted to be able to tell you where every cup of coffee came from. The more we looked into it, the more we realised that where it came from is only half the story. The other half is who grew it, and whether they were paid fairly.
The numbers behind your morning cup
The UK drinks around 98 million cups of coffee a day. Behind every one of them is a farmer, and for most of them, the economics are tough.
Around 80% of the world's coffee is produced by 17.7 million small scale farmers, and Fairtrade research found that most of them do not earn a living income from coffee. In one 2025 study by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Kenyan smallholders earned on average just 35% of the benchmark needed for a decent standard of living. The Fairtrade Foundation says the average non Fairtrade coffee farmer can earn as little as US$1.37 a day. Studies also suggest producers typically keep around 1% of the retail price of a cup, which on a $4 coffee is about four cents.
That is the gap we want to be on the right side of.
What fair trade actually means
"Fair trade" is used loosely, so here is what the Fairtrade standard actually guarantees. Fairtrade sets a minimum price for coffee, a safety net that protects farmers when market prices fall. It is currently $1.80 per pound for washed arabica and rises to $2.00 from 1 December 2026. On top of that, farmers receive a Premium of 20 cents per pound to invest in their communities, such as training, climate adaptation and infrastructure. In 2024, Fairtrade coffee cooperatives earned €57 million in Premium.
It is worth being honest about the limits. The minimum price only applies when the market falls below it, and coffee has been trading above that level since March 2024. Many farmers also sell only a fraction of their crop on Fairtrade terms. Fairtrade is a safety net and a standard, not a cure for every problem in coffee. We think that makes it more worth backing, not less.
Ethically sourced means more than a logo
For us, ethical sourcing goes beyond one label. It means traceability back to the farm, fair treatment of the people who grow our coffee, and a supply chain we can explain without hiding anything. It is the same principle behind everything we do: you should always know your coffee beans.
What this means for you
UK shoppers care about this. According to Kantar research, 88% of UK consumers recognise the Fairtrade Mark, 83% trust it and 78% say they care about Fairtrade. Coffee sales volumes grew 5% in 2024, an extra 87 million cups, so people are choosing it.
[CHOOSE ONE: Our [products / selected products] now carry the Fairtrade Mark, meaning they are independently certified against the Fairtrade standard. Look for it on pack. / We are working towards Fairtrade certification for our range, and in the meantime we source from [describe your suppliers and what you can prove].]
Alongside our Farm to Roaster partnership and specialty South American arabica, cupped at 81 and above on the SCA scale, this is the next step in building a coffee brand you can feel good about from the first sip to the story behind it.
Fair play is a very British idea. We think it belongs in your coffee too.