265 : Gaining Clarity on Transparency w/ Jonas Lorenz of The Pledge

Transparency. We see it increasingly being used as a tool to signify responsible commerce and trade among coffee roasting companies. But what is it exactly? Are we approaching it in a meaningful way? How do we define and practice transparency in a way that will actually make the difference we want to see it make? These are questions that will get answered today as we talk with Jonas Lorenz, co-author of The Pledge.

The Pledge was designed to function A common code for transparency reporting in green coffee buying. Companies that sign The Pledge agree to share publicly a fixed set of variables when reporting on green coffee purchases. The aim is to create a common standard for transparency reporting that is applicable throughout the coffee world.

With a degree in political science, and 10 years in the coffee industry, Jonas dreamt of combining the ideas of the “direct trade/quality/appreciation for the product” approach of specialty coffee with the “farmer centric/ fair share of profits for all stakeholders in the industry/respect for people and planet” approach of the fair trade movement.

Co-Authoring The Pledge did just that.

In our conversation today we will be exploring how to meaningful define and practice transparency.

We cover: