Introducing the world’s first beer made with Fairtrade Fonio grain

We’re super proud and excited to share with you that we have set up the world’s first Fairtrade-certified brewing supply chain for climate-resilient fonio grain – with the ‘game-changing’ potential to put farming communities in West Africa on a level footing with other nations.

Brewgooder Fonio, a ‘delicious, crisp and hoppy’ Session IPA (4.3%), is the first product of the Fairtrade supply chain, and has already secured placements in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, the Co-op, and is also available on British Airways. The mouthwatering beer has also just been awarded a Great Taste Award and is a finalist for The Grocer’s New Product and Packaging Awards – how cool is that?

 

 

Our pioneering supply chain was set up in just six months, thanks to working really closely with the fonio farming cooperatives in Guinea. It has been set up so farmers are paid a fairer price for their work and grain, while fostering sustainable and equitable economic growth for their nearby communities.

So far, we know that 67 farmers have signed up, with two-thirds of those joining since Fairtrade certification. Depending on the growth and success of the supply chain, it’s hoped that hundreds of farmers and the communities surrounding them will benefit in the future. To make things even better, we’ve decided to make the new supply chain accessible to all. Named ‘Open Grain’, any UK brewer or business looking to utilise fonio will be able to tap into the Fairtrade-certified supply of the grain to further maximise the positive impact made in Guinea and potentially beyond.

Alan Mahon, founder at Brewgooder, said: “Alone we can make a small but meaningful difference, but as an entire industry – even if only adopting Fairtrade fonio in small amounts – we can support farmers in Guinea make a game-changing impact on these communities while simultaneously bringing quality and desirable products to market. Enabling other beer producers to use our supply chain makes that possible.

We’re not adopting Fairtrade fonio to give ourselves a USP, but to show what can be achieved when you collaborate with farming communities for a fairer deal. “We faced almost impossible odds in bringing this supply chain together in just six months, but we achieved it through the incredible effort, commitment, and drive of our farming and logistics partners. It demonstrates that a vision for a fairer, more equitable world can make seemingly impossible things happen. “Fairtrade Fonio can support communities in Guinea to thrive. It means fairer practices and a fairer deal for farmers, and Brewgooder is delighted to work together with the Fairtrade Foundation and our retailers and commercial partners to bring these principles to a new category.

“There’s a huge appetite for Fairtrade products in the UK, and it's absent in the beer category at present. People care about fair and just trade, and if they can achieve it through the products they buy, then they will make that choice.”