Fantastico has been a part of the coffee world for over 25 years and we have seen the industry go through many changes. With instant access to information, consumer knowledge and thus company transparency, have become the norm. Despite the increased awareness, the industry still has plenty of room for improvement.
This year the price of coffee has dropped substantially, meaning most farmers are getting less for their product. The prices of coffee are set in accordance with the global commodities market on the New York Stock Exchange, commonly referred to as C-price. Like anything on a trading market, prices fluctuate due to numerous market factors, effecting the purchase price of a commodity.
For most of the producers of coffee in accordance with the global exchange, is reliant on the system, so they are feeling effects. This includes farmers, suppliers, importers and many more. We are fortunate to have built incredible relationships with both importers and farmers directly. Many of our partners, like our friend Ricardo Zelaya, enable us to operate outside C-market pricing. This means all the farmers we purchase from earn well above C-market prices and get a healthy living wage.
At Fantastico, our most important metric has always been quality when sourcing coffee beans, disregarding price. Usually, this means we pay a large premium for the beans we purchase, but it also ensures that harvesting and farming is more sustainable in the long-term. The people who grow the coffee are taken care of, they are proud of what they produce, they can re-invest in their land and continue to receive high prices for their crops.
-Brad Swaim