KARLSTAD, Sweden – A transparent coffee industry for the benefit of the farmers who grow the coffee. That is the ambition of Era of We, a new digital platform that gives coffee farmers the opportunity to set prices and create their own brands, and everyone can participate. From consumer to coffee farmer. In 2021, Löfbergs Group joined Era of We as the first roaster, launching the platform in Sweden. Now the turn has come to Denmark.
Peter Larsen Kaffe, a brand within the Löfbergs Group, is the first in Denmark to introduce the innovative, global platform, Era of We – the world’s first digital end-to-end solution, with the vision of democratizing the coffee industry and creating the conditions for a fairer and more sustainable business model in the coffee industry.
“We are on a burning platform. Despite a huge increase in value in the coffee industry in recent years, both coffee farmers and plantations continue to operate under tremendous pressure. Recent reports show that almost 61% of the world’s coffee farmers sell their coffee at prices that are below their production costs,” says Lars Aaen Thøgersen, Chief Innovation Officer at Löfbergs Group:
“The complicated structures in the coffee trade mean that coffee farmers often have no opportunity to negotiate the price of their products. And the many costly intermediaries mean that they already get a vanishingly small share of the profits. At the same time, we are facing a huge generational challenge that could trigger a global shortage of coffee supplies. And then we can no longer get the quality coffee we are used to,” says Lars Aaen Thøgersen
But all of that, the Era of We has potential to change, says Christine Latigo, who works at the Ugandan coffee farm Sipi Falls:
“With Era of We, the coffee industry is entering a new era. For many years, coffee farmers have been invisible women and men behind the scenes, and this has blinded the outside world to the business conditions under which we operate. Now we are being pulled forward on stage, and that will fundamentally change the rules of the game,” says Christine Latigo.
Lars Aaen Thøgersen, Chief Innovation and Circular Transformation Officer at Löfbergs: “Technology is crucial for change in the coffee industry”
In the search for effective paths to change, Löfbergs Group have been involved in a large number of projects focusing on technological development. Most recently as a participant in a major research project with, among others, the University of Copenhagen, the COWI Foundation and the ITU, which have tested the potential of blockchain technology. The bottom line is, blockchain right now is not the key to change.
Instead, Löfbergs Group is now betting on Era and We, and Lars Aaen Thøgersen is optimistic:
“I have no doubt for a second that technology is crucial to change in the coffee industry. And at Löfbergs Group, we see Era of We as the best bid of the time for a technological solution that can promote the necessary change on a large scale. That is why we are also incredibly happy to have the opportunity to introduce the platform to the Danish market, so that together we can create better conditions for coffee farmers and help ensure future-proof quality coffee,” says Lars Aaen Thøgersen.
Promote product innovation and business opportunities
With Era of We, coffee farmers – regardless of size – have the opportunity to set the price of their coffee beans themselves and market their products directly to both roasteries, consumers and everyone who sells ready-roasted coffee. Eg retail and restaurants. This creates a more efficient, transparent and fair supply chain than the existing industry practice.
“We want to democratize the supply chain through openness and cooperation,” says Martin Löfberg, founder and chairman of Era of We, and continues: “By giving farms the opportunity to create individual brands based on their coffee’s unique characteristics, Era of We helps increase the value of the individual coffee farms and plantations.”
Explore coffee from Sipi Falls at the art museum ARoS
Within the platform, it is possible to track coffee through a completely new ecosystem, and this will open new doors for Löfbergs Group’s customers. Here they will have access to a large number of new, undiscovered coffee plantations around the world – not to mention greater knowledge about trends around coffee beans and consumers, product innovation and prices. And one of the first customers in Denmark who has joined the Era of We community from the start is the art museum ARoS in Aarhus.
“The platform creates – as the first – a direct connection between coffee farms and our customers. Completely without intermediaries. For Aros and our other customers, it holds great potential for new thinking of products and business opportunities. For example, they are always looking for new products that can strengthen their brand – and here Era of We is an obvious channel, because you can trace the individual bag of coffee all the way back to the coffee farmer. It not only creates a good story, but also unique products,” says Lars Aaen Thøgersen.
About Era of We
Era of We is the world’s first digital end-to-end platform, which aims to disrupt and reinvent the coffee supply chain and shift the value of coffee brands back to coffee farmers and consumers. Era of We strives to change the economy of the supply chain for the better and invests in the fact that coffee also tastes better when you can trust that it has ended up in the cup in an honorable way. They want to create a movement driven by a community with a passion for where coffee comes from, its quality and to ensure that future coffee production is sustainable, profitable and long-term.
Read more and experience the new platform on www.eraofwe.com
