Lykke Coffee Farms: More than just a beverage: Cultivating happiness in the world of coffee
By Malin Norman | Photos: Lykke Coffee Farms
With the aim of setting a new standard for how a coffee business can operate without causing harm, Lykke Coffee Farms is doing things differently. Working closely together with coffee farmers in Uganda, Peru, El Salvador and Brazil, the pioneering team behind the sustainable coffee project is also generously sharing their business idea with partners around the world. The goal is that enjoying a cup of coffee can be a small but conscious act of doing good.
It all starts on the farms where the coffee grows. As a responsible coffee producer, Swedish company Lykke Coffee Farms creates better conditions for the farmers, shares knowledge and builds relationships with them – all in the name of coffee. Its business model is transparent, organic and sustainable. A gamechanger, no doubt.
Founded in 2020 by a team of entrepreneurs with heaps of previous experience in the world of coffee, Lykke is made up of coffee roasters, baristas and other specialists. “We want to make a difference in the industry,” says Johan Damgaard, co-founder and CEO at Lykke. “No-one and nothing should be harmed in order for us to enjoy a good cup of coffee. For us, this means being transparent every step of the way – from what happens on our coffee farms abroad, to how we do business with our partners around the world, to our roasting operations in Sweden and Finland.”
Letting farmers run the show
Quickly, it becomes clear that Damgaard loves talking about coffee farming and sustainability, and how to turn things upside down in the industry. “Coffee is one of the most traded commodities in the world. With Lykke, we want to challenge the usual way of doing things,” he says. “Basically, it starts by cutting out the middleman in the process. Instead, we have our own farms and coffee projects in Uganda, Peru, El Salvador and Brazil – where we cultivate coffee together with the local farmers.”
The Lykke way of growing coffee is organic, without mono-cultures and in perfect harmony with people and nature, as it should be done. The co-founder explains: “Our project is based on an ambitious dream of changing an unsustainable industry into a more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable business for all involved – but most of all for the coffee producers.”
The business model is circular; Lykke owns farms and also runs different projects together with coffee farmers, and the profits are shared with the local farmers. “In each location, we set up a basecamp where we can experiment with ecology and coffee processes, as well as share our knowledge with our coffee growing neighbours, helping them to improve and perfect their already good coffee into amazing coffee, which they can then charge more for,” says Damgaard. “This way, we’re not only making a full circle, being both producer and buyer, but we’re also creating work opportunities and better conditions for the farmers.”
Partners and coffee scouts
One of Lykke’s initiatives is the Coffee Scout Project in Uganda. The project aims to support and educate local farmers in working in a more climate-smart way, from providing facilities for cleaning and processing coffee beans, to teaching new pruning techniques that help the plants produce more cherries, and ultimately more coffee beans.
Premium quality and sustainability are key, and so is a design that stands out in the market. Developed under the same ethos of doing things differently, Lykke’s vibrant and easily-recognisable branding and packaging have already become a hit amongst consumers in Sweden and abroad. And the design has won numerous awards, for instance the prestigious D&AD Award for packaging design in 2021. The brand has also released a number of exciting limited edition projects, such as the Aarke x Lykke collab together with Lars Pilengrim.
Perhaps surprisingly, the Lykke team is more than happy to share its successful concept, so that more businesses can have a positive impact. Already introduced in Helsinki, Finland, the partner model is also being implemented in Estonia and Japan, so far. “Becoming a Lykke partner means joining a group of like-minded, independent and market-specific roasters that seek a coffee identity with a mission and the resources to support long-term success,” says Damgaard. “By building volume, together, we can have even greater impact.”
Happiness in a bag of coffee
But what about the coffee? Lykke has a broad range of espresso, filter brew, single origin and capsules, as well as tea and matcha, available in the web shop, at selected retailers, and at Lykke’s own cafés in Stockholm and Helsinki.
A clear hit in the line-up is Happiness in a Bag, a bright, fruity and beautifully balanced medium roast coffee. Malin of Hökarängen is another, with a bit more intensity and depth without being too dark. And Bam Bam is described as a daily hero in a cup – smooth, sweet and balanced, ready to make your day even better.
These are just a few of the products, and no doubt Lykke will continue its global mission to make the world a happier and better place, by way of coffee. “We think of ourselves as a true part of the coffee community,” says Damgaard, and adds; “Our Lykke train continues its steady journey, why don’t you join us along the way?”
Web: www.lykkegardar.se
Facebook: Lykke Kaffegårdar
Instagram: @lykkecoffeefarms
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