Anne MacCaig took over as CEO of pioneering Fairtrade hot drinks company Cafédirect in March 2008.Since then she has seen first-hand the impact Cafédirect has on marginalised grower communities and is driving Cafédirect's mission to change lives and build communities around the world.
Anne was awarded the Ethical Business Award in the
2009 Triodos Bank Women in Ethical Business Awards which celebrates the successes of the UK's most inspiring ethical businesswomen.
Favourite Green/Ethical activity I love walking in the mountains or along the coast and being amongst nature. My starting point for protecting the environment is a great passion for the natural world and the benefits of health and well-being it brings. I believe this should be protected for future generations.
Fairtrade / Organic or Local At Cafédirect we think you should know the people you work with. We believe in working in partnership with marginalised growers, we have growers on our board, we reinvest over 50% of profits back into grower communities and we do this on top of paying above the minimum Fairtrade price for all our tea, coffee and cocoa. This also means we get the best quality products – both organic and non-organic. Because of the way Cafédirect works local communities can be connected with growers in remote tea and coffee communities. Become a Friend of Cafédirect to find out more! www.cafedirect.co.uk/friends
Best Ethical buy New Cafédirect Earl Grey and English Breakfast. Perfect for an English Summer’s day!
What Green /Ethical products are you waiting to be designed? I would like to see a range of ethical produced dancewear products because I do Jazz dance.
What is your personal ethical /green dilemma? For me it’s the conflict between flying and the opportunity to understand about more about different countries and cultures.
Where/who do you get your inspiration from? It has to be the smallholder producers we work with at Cafédirect. They understand how to work in harmony with nature, often discovering new ways to maintain organic methods of cultivating crops in their small plots of land.
They are subjected to the dramatic effects of climate –change in their remote communities in Africa and Latin America. Sometimes a freak storm will occur and wipe out 40% of their coffee crop. Adapting to climate – change is a key priority for them. I am constantly inspired by their stoicism in the face of adversity and their great sense of community.
What do you think the future is for ethical fashion? The leading fashion brands and retailers will be those that report against their social and environmental impact, as well as their financial impact. There will be transparency in their supply chains. Customers will demand it.
The last Green thing I did Actually it was this morning. I accurately filled the kettle to make two cups of tea and only let it boil once. You might not know, but overfilling kettles is a huge waste of energy and kettle-boiling is the part of the tea supply chain that generates most carbon. So I’m keen to do my bit.
What would be your one piece of ethical /green advice to give Ethics girls? Understand the power of your recommendation to a friend and the power of your request in a supermarket. If you can’t find an ethical product in there that you want to buy, then ask the Manager. Cafédirect went from being sold in church halls to being sold in supermarkets as a direct result of consumer request.
