No more Fairtrade coffee for rail commuters?

Amt Coffee, a 100 per cent Fairtrade coffee company, has lost its contract with Network Rail and a number of AMT Fairtrade coffee bars - mainly in London stations - are going to be taken over by Caffé Nero.

The news means ethically minded commuters will now struggle to get their Fairtrade coffee on their way to work, and coffee farmers in the developing world will lose out on premiums for investment in their communities and the financial stability brought by Fairtrade.

PJ Taylor from Network Rail says that AMT Coffee still operates in some of the stations managed by Network Rail and explains: 'When AMT’s contract was up for renewal, they just didn’t bid as much as Caffé Nero. It was a simple business decision.'

Jon Hassall from AMT Coffee says: 'Our shops at Network Rail stations represent 40 per cent of our income and having worked with Network Rail in these locations for over 13 years we were disappointed to have lost the sites that we both sourced and created.'

He explains that the only way the ethical coffee company could have matched Caffé Nero’s bid would have been to pass on the cost of the organic milk and Fairtrade beans AMT uses to its customers, which would be against the company’s philosophy.

More than 4500 AMT customers have already shown their support for AMT Coffee and Hassall hopes that Network Rail will reconsider the decision.

Comments

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Mon, August 06, 2007 at 7:16pm
linda cox says

Network Rail should be ashamed of themselves - what a huge backward step in their evolutionary process. I really hope that the coffee consumers vote with their feet, although it will take a great deal of moral committment to resist that early wake up cuppa. NR have allowed Caffe Nero to simply bully AMT out - I hope NR are satisfied? Linda Tonbridge
Tue, August 07, 2007 at 7:25pm
greenindian says

I understand that Network Rail made the decision purely on the basis of how much more money Caffe Nero were offering over AMT-I wonder if Network Rail have a code of business practice, some sort of commitment towards Responsible Business-its amazing that in this day and age business can make such shoddy selfish decisions that can ultimately affect the livelihood of people-I think NewConsumer.com should start some sort of petition to protest against the removal of AMT-anyone want to second this??
Tue, August 07, 2007 at 7:39pm
linda cox says

Seconded absolutely! We must not let Corporate bullies determine our future. Not only are NR letting down the Fairtrade farmers but they are sending out a clear signal to the thousands of people who pass through their station that money is more important that being ethical. NR’s reponse was pathetic - when were business decisions that were worth making ever easy? Linda Tonbridge