GEPA Fair Trade Coffee

GEPA (Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Partnerschaft mit der Dritten Welt mbH) is Europe's largest fair trade organization, founded in 1975 in Germany. The brand was established by church-affiliated and youth organizations including MISEREOR, Brot für die Welt, and the BDKJ to promote ethical consumption and fair prices for producers in the Global South.

While GEPA sources its raw ingredients such as coffee beans, cocoa, and tea from various cooperatives across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, the final processing, roasting, and packaging for the European market primarily take place in Germany. This ensures high quality standards while maintaining the integrity of the fair trade supply chain.

GEPA is unique in that it is not owned by a single private individual or a multinational corporation. Instead, it is owned by several social and ecclesiastical organizations. The main shareholders are MISEREOR, Brot für die Welt, the Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ), aGEnda 21, and the Kindermissionswerk. This structure ensures that all profits are reinvested into fair trade initiatives rather than being paid out as dividends to private investors.