Our 2022 transparency report: How do you change something as big as coffee?

Sorry to be a bit grim: In a world awash with ethical claims, the coffee supply chain is still inherently exploitative and colonial. Within that supply chain, the roasting step is by far the most profitable and powerful. We can’t change the nature of the industry (yet) so we decided the most productive thing we could do is open a roasterie ourselves, set it up as a registered charity, and give up 100 percent of the proceeds to fight injustice — nothing hidden, no catch. 

So, here you go. It's our second annual transparency report and you might be shocked that we're willing to share where all the pennies go.

This is also a manifesto of sorts, to explain what we’re doing to reimagine the business through transformative global agriculture and delicious coffee. After a combined 30 years in the industry for the two of us (plus two more years doing postgraduate research) we continue to hone our vision into a model — a theory of change — with a set of 7 goals for who we want to be. We know we’re not there yet and we don’t think our ideas are perfect.

Still, we’re trying to develop not just the most ethical roastery around but the most ethical possible, with the best coffee possible. The strongest ethics are communally held, in our view, so the input of farmers, importers, staff, customers, and industry colleagues is just as important as our own. Do take this seriously and send feedback or suggestions to micah@skylark.coffee.

Ready? The big wedge is here. Or, you can stay tuned and we'll be posting the crucial bits in the week to come in TLDR friendly blog posts.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for caring.