Consumers’ demand for ethically produced goods continues to swell, particularly in Europe. Two German entrepreneurs are making the most of the trend, peddling a business idea with a conscience – a beverage company which hopes to make the world a better place.
Tell me more about LemonAid Beverages…
LemonAid Beverages is a German organic soft drinks company, founded by Paul Bethke and Jakob Berndt.
Asked how they started, the young entrepreneurs tell how they simply blended various ingredients to create homemade sodas in their kitchen; then asked friends to taste-test parties. Once satisfied with their recipes, they started bottling their product and, in just two years, they already have a profitable start-up – no mean feat in the competitive soft drink industry.
What makes LemonAid Beverages different?
The Hamburg start-up is one of the first soda drink companies to use only fair trade ingredients. Instead of purchasing ingredients from multinational suppliers, LemonAid Beverages sources organic ingredients from rural communities around the world. Not only does LemonAid empower locals by paying a fair price for their products (unlike big corporate middlemen, who routinely exploit local producers), but also ploughs a percentage of profits back into community projects.
LemonAid Beverages currently sells a lemonade brand and a tea brand – appropriately named LemonAid and Charitea.
Entrepreneurs – we think a business idea along these lines would be a marvellous way to make money and empower rural South African producers, at the same time.
For more inspiration
Check out these fair trade beverage companies:
- Bean There – fair trade coffee
- Percola – preservative-free free trade cola
- Zhena’s Gypsy Tea – organic fair trade tea, as featured by O, The Oprah Magazine and The Dr Oz Show.
- Image courtesy of LemonAid Beverages
