Ethical Espresso: Coffee with a Conscience

Your morning flat white connects you to farmers, forests, and a global industry under real pressure. In this webinar, Go Well sat down with three businesses at the heart of New Zealand’s coffee supply chain — Kōkako Organic Coffee, Havana Coffee Works, and green bean importer John Burton Limited — for an honest conversation about what it takes to source coffee ethically in an increasingly volatile world.

Here are some of the highlights:

Climate change is already hitting the cup. Coffee growing areas suitable for production could shrink by as much as 50% by 2050 — and for Will Valverde of John Burton, who grew up in Costa Rica, that’s not a projection. It’s already happened. Production in his home region has dropped around 50% in his lifetime.

Only around 10% of your coffee’s value goes back to the grower. When you factor in the journey from farm to cup — picking, processing, shipping, roasting, packing, couriering — it puts the conversation about $7 flat whites in a very different light.

Ethical sourcing is no longer a point of difference — it’s an expectation. Frankie Cistrone of Havana noted that consumers increasingly assume specialty roasters are sourcing sustainably. The challenge now is going further, being transparent, and telling the story behind the cup.

Kōkako customers actually wrote in to say thank you for a price rise. When Kōkako increased prices to protect the quality, ethics, and certifications they are known for, over a dozen customers emailed in — not to complain, but to applaud. “Thank you for not changing what we believe in you for.”

The best advice for any business starting their sustainability journey? Just start. All three panellists agreed — don’t wait until you have all the answers. Start measuring, be transparent, and improve from there.

Watch the full recording below: