Social Business

Social Business team works with local communities in overseas countries in order to promote income generation and self-reliance through providing them
necessary trainings related to product production and sales. Based on such social and economic values, we operate brands; “The Neighbors Coffee” and
“MERRYCOOP” to effectively support the economic independence of the vulnerable in countries where we work. The Neighbors Coffee produces and
distributes coffee products, processed by local associations and social enterprises. The cooperative brand MERRYCOOP develops, produces and sells locally
handmade products to improve the local community’s economic independence.

The Neighbors Coffee with locals

“From farms to cafes, Coffee made by Good Neighbors and the local community”

Coffee is known as a ‘cash-crop’ which can improve coffee farmers’ standard of living, but quite often fair wages and decent working environment
for farmers are not guaranteed. The brand “The Neighbors Coffee” was created not only for the continuance of economic activity and sustainability of
local coffee farmers, but also to improve the quality of beans and secure sales channels for the coffee growers.

Good coffee made by Good Neighbors
‘The Neighbors Coffee’

We have a local processing facility to directly purchase and process good quality coffee cherries purchased directly
from farmers and cooperatives to produce green beans.

We dispatch professional to maintain the produce in a high quality, and help them to stay competitive in the market
by strengthening their capacity via educating local residents.

Increasing income through coffee production

In the case of the Rwandan social enterprise Café de Gisagara established by Good Neighbors, We provide training on coffee cultivation and support cash
flow of coffee cherries to help our members to grow and trade coffee stably.

Sustainable coffee brand

We import locally processed, high-quality green beans and sell them domestically and overseas. The generated profit is reinvested for the sustainable
economic independence of local coffee growers. We provide technical trainings for bean quality improvement and support equipment purchases to increase
farmers’ household income.

PRODUCTS OVERVIEW

• 
• 

• 

  Coffee Business Area

  We have established social enterprises related to coffee
  processing in Rwanda and Guatemala and plan to expand
  the business to Ethiopia and Indonesia.

• 

  Cafe Business

  We have cafes(Seoul and Incheon city), and use the generated
  profit for the economic independence of coffee growers in the
  countries where we work.

Brand MERRYCOOP for cooperatives

“Joyful self-reliance of cooperatives continues.”

[Merry]Plus Btn[Coop]

MERRYCOOP wishes happy lives of cooperative members.

We design and manufacture goods with consumption-value made with unique materials from developing countries.

Low-level income people in developing countries face challenges such as national poverty, early marriage, gender discrimination and regional isolation, which limit opportunities to become economically self-reliant. The brand “MERRYCOOP” was created to provide production training, product design and to securing sales channels and marketing activities for the self-reliance of cooperative members, located in GN Partnership countries.

How the profit is used

First, we support raw material purchase, fair wages and technical trainings related to product production to cooperative members. MERRYCOOP also imports
finished goods and sell them domestically and to overseas. Generated profit is reinvested in technical training, equipment purchases, and new product
development.

• 

• Cooperative Product
  Development Countries (2019)

  Since 2017, brand ‘MERRYCOOP’ has been launching design products, made by cooperative members of Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Bangladesh and Guatemala, and more GN
  Partnership countries are in process of product development.

PRODUCTS OVERVIEW

• 

  Mongolia
  Cashmere

• 

  Kyrgyzstan
  Felt Coaster / Shoes

• 

  Bangladesh
  Jute Bag

• 

  Guatemala
  Accessories

MERRYCOOP products are currently being sold in 13 different domestic on/off-line retail channels.
We are in the process of securing overseas sales retailers.