Fairer coffee, from cooperative to cup
At Maison Soleil, our responsibility begins long before roasting. It begins in the African highlands, with the cooperatives that grow our lots. We chose direct trade out of conviction, not marketing opportunism.
Our direct trade programme
We buy directly from five cooperatives in French-speaking Africa, with no trading intermediary:
- Terres de Nyungwe — Rwanda
- Soleil du Cavally — Côte d’Ivoire
- Les Hauts de Boyo — Cameroon
- Route d’Antananarivo — Madagascar
- Rives du Kivu — Democratic Republic of the Congo
Every partnership rests on three shared contractual rules:
Guaranteed floor price
Every contract sets a floor price at least 30% above the world coffee price at the time of signing, whatever the price at delivery. This guarantee protects producers against market volatility.
Harvest pre-financing
We advance 40% of the contracted volume before harvest. This practice, rare for a roastery of our size, allows cooperatives to fund their inputs, wages and logistics at the start of the season.
Multi-year contracts
Every agreement runs for at least three years, with tacit renewal. This visibility lets producers invest in quality, training and equipment rather than living under the pressure of annual orders.
EUDR compliance
The European Union Deforestation Regulation now requires every batch of agricultural produce to be traced back to its production plot. At Maison Soleil, we have been ready from day one: each of our five partner cooperatives has provided plot GPS coordinates since the partnership began.
This geolocated traceability is an integral part of our direct trade practice. It allows us to meet regulatory requirements today without disrupting supply, and to guarantee you a coffee whose origin is documented and verifiable.
Capsules designed with the planet in mind
Aware that the traditional capsule market is declining and resource-hungry, we entered this format in April 2024 through its only growing segment: compostable capsules.
Our Nespresso-compatible capsules and Senseo-compatible soft pods are made from paper and cellulose. They are home-compostable and contain no aluminium whatsoever. It is a deliberate convenience trade-off, more respectful of the environment than conventional formats.
100% coffee
Maison Soleil remains entirely dedicated to coffee. We offer no chicory, barley, lupin or other substitutes. Our core craft is roasting, and our future is built on the quality of our origins and the loyalty of our producer relationships.
From highland sun to your cup.