About Fantine
Opening the doors to the universe of coffee flavors
We love coffee. We love drinking coffee, we love understanding coffee, we believe it’s the perfect conjunction between science and art. We love the versatility of coffee and the expansive array of flavors it embraces. We admire the brave spirits of coffee producers that embark on projects with very slow and low return of investments. We love the curious and passionate coffee producers that dream to make a business out of growing coffee. We love the intuitive and resilient nature of coffee producers who care for and feel their trees. We love people meticulously grinding and brewing coffee at their homes every morning. We love the dedication of cafés and bars that are devoted to bringing joy to people through good coffee.
We love coffee. We love drinking coffee, we love understanding coffee, we believe it’s the perfect conjunction between science and art. We love the versatility of coffee and the expansive array of flavors it embraces.
We admire the brave spirits of coffee producers that embark on projects with very slow and low return of investments. We love the curious and passionate coffee producers that dream to make a business out of growing coffee. We love the intuitive and resilient nature of coffee producers who care for and feel their trees.
We love people meticulously grinding and brewing coffee at their homes every morning. We love the dedication of cafés and bars that are devoted to bringing joy to people through good coffee.
Behind Fantine there’s a team with more than 15 years of experience in coffee production, processing and logistics.
Regrettably, the global coffee industry is entangled in a system of profound inequality.
We started our coffee journey wanting to create a technological solution that would bring transparency to the coffee supply chain. However, we soon realized that it would never be commercially successful because almost no one is interested in paying for something that exposes themselves.
Although we applaud any project that seeks to improve conditions at source, we do not believe that a better coffee industry depends on “helping” producers.
We know that a better coffee industry begins with a more balanced distribution of value along the coffee chain, a value that is directly correlated to the contribution made by each actor.
The risk in coffee production and trade lies primarily with producers, exporters and importers and all of them are needed so that coffee trading can be properly carried out. What we need are transparent and accountable value chain players.
Direct Trade is not the solution
The coffee supply chain is a broken chain
The current system of Direct Trade, unfortunately, only benefits those that are already in the Specialty Coffee market and does little to help the ones trying to get into that “elite” group. Not all small companies can afford recurring visits to several coffee producing countries. Nor is it efficient to pay large amounts for logistics only for the sake of being “exclusive” when that money could go to the farm instead.
In a growing industry of quality/specialty coffees, we believe that, in addition to transparency, being close to production is key. Because of this, we chose the long and complex path of creating the conditions to work with different farms in remote areas with which we chose to work not because of the practicality of buying the parchment at a collection point but because of their philosophy of cultivation and processing coffee.
Trading specialty coffee is extremely challenging
We focus rather on working consistently with great farms and producers than in hunting great coffee lots. We don’t believe hunting great coffee lots does any good to coffee producing countries in the long term (with the exception of auctions that give them great visibility). We are aware that only by constantly facilitating buyers’ access to the same (and hopefully more and more) formidable producers with a commendable production philosophy or innovation in coffee production, we contribute in the long term to the much needed value chain balance mentioned above.
It is extremely challenging to trade specialty coffee: financing is not cheap because the contracts are not sustained on the commodity market nor thousands of bags are moved, two conditions that make financing interesting for large banks. Logistics are costly because the economy of scale is redefined, not to mention moving small lots from a remote farm with poor roads.
Did you know that it is 3X more expensive to move one container within Colombia than from Colombia to China?
Processing is costly because it requires more manual labor (yep, defect sorting at the mill too), cupping and specific packaging. However, our decreasing-fee pricing model makes coffee with high-producer value more affordable and suits buyers who really want to sell it, grow with it, and engage new coffee lovers.
Connecting to coffee producers in an efficient, transparent and sustainable way
- Objectively Q-graded coffee by a team of calibrated Q graders.
- Traceability and online management. Intuitive marketplace with history orders, contracts and up-to-date information.
- Making coffee with high production value more reasonably priced through our decreasing pricing model for higher-end coffee.
- Easier access to unique coffees that traditionally could only be accessed through auctions.
Encouraging price transparency by sharing farm-gate prices as we are not only importers negotiating with exporters. The topic of farm-gate prices is much more complex than it sounds though, click here to know more.
- Real decentralization at origin. We are not coffee producers or mill owners, therefore we don’t have any hidden agenda to promote any specific coffee.
Supporting farmers to find the services they need when they don’t have a high degree of vertical integration.
- Supporting any coffee producing philosophy we believe in: from high-risk takers and innovators that with much effort managed to create a name for themselves in the industry to small producers that are willing to learn and embrace a more meticulous way of producing coffee.
Fantine for Roasters
Why choose Fantine?
- Flexible quantities and more effcient logistics for buyers.
- Q-graded certified coffee sensory and physical quality.
- Get access to fresh and unique coffee lots that entice coffee lovers around the world.
- Support farmers to find the services they need when they don’t have a high degree of vertical integration.
- Support any coffee producing philosophy you believe in: from high-risk takers and innovators to small producers that are willing to learn and embrace a more meticulous way of producing coffee.
Support a coffee industry based on fairness and transparency.
with the support of:
Our Commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Our Commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
No Poverty
Bringing prosperity to rural communities by providing coffee producers access to international markets and higher value retention for coffee growers. Beyond the usual marketing claims, these are key towards the sustainability of the industry.
Gender Equality
Working with female producers and cooperatives of female heads of household. Ensuring female producers get the right recognition and visibility for their work. Did you know that 70% of the labor force in coffee production is comprised of women?
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Improving producers’ margins, fostering job creation in rural areas and motivating younger generations to stay engaged in coffee production, restoring the social weave of rural areas and creating more stable livelihoods.
Reduced Inequalities
Enabling access to international markets and higher value retention for coffee growers. Working with cooperatives of minority groups such as former guerilla combatants and indigenous communities.
Responsible Production and Consumption
Promoting sustainable agricultural practices and responsible sourcing, beyond certifications. Increasing awareness in end-consumers about their buying decisions.
More Transparency,
Better
Quality and Transparency
We believe that the best driver of quality is transparency. Tomorrow’s economy will be driven by inclusive business models that reward excellence, quality and fair competitiveness.
Transparency in coffee is one of the most complex and substantial topics in this industry, however we believe this is a necessary step in order to ensure the sustainability of the coffee industry in the long term.
Coffee and Technology
Our mission is to use cutting-edge technology to create a coffee industry driven by inclusive business models, sustainability and transparency.
The coffee value chain needs to be redesigned in order to become completely transparent, efficient and able to generate win-win economic transactions.
