Ethical coffee pioneer to give OFC's Keynote address

coffee copyright Jane Craigie

This year’s Frank Parkinson Trust Keynote address will be from Konrad Brits, the founder and CEO of Falcon Coffees. Konrad is a South African who started his coffee career aged just 23 because he found the drink exotic and intoxicating.

Konrad describes the company as one that grows, finances, exports, transports, roasts, distributes and prepares a cup of coffee from point of origin to the cup.

He believes in ethical trading and in collaboration; also that everyone in a supply chain should behave in a manner in-keeping with the principles of trust, transparency and integrity. It is based on the idea of cooperation, rather than competition; nurturing rather than predatory. He works with rural, often hard-to-reach producers and helps them get their product to world markets.

Coffee is grown in poor countries and consumed in wealthy countries. His business helps people that lack food security, access to education, health care and credit.

Our hope is that the learnings Konrad will share of this exotic crop and his market approach will give us in the Western world some ideas and business mantras to help with our own supply chains. 

Full conference line up for 2017.