The sailing ship, sustainable maritime transport for our coffee
Why transport our coffee by sail?
Low-carbon journey
With 90% fewer CO2 emissions than a classic container ship, it is the most decarbonised maritime transport to date.
Responsible energy
Wind is an inexhaustible, abundant, and predictable source of energy. It is time to bring it back into fashion.
Respected quality
The coffee is transported in dedicated holds, guaranteeing ideal temperature and humidity levels for its preservation.
Protected oceans
No discharges except during port manoeuvres, no noise pollution: sailing takes care of the seabed.
Together, let's decarbonise coffee
By launching Javry in 2015, Pierre-Yves and Maxence made the bet to work for coffee as good in cups as it is for producers and for the planet. Coffee is a pleasure (some would even say a need!) that is far from trivial from an ethical and ecological standpoint. Every day, the whole team works to promote greener and more ethical production and consumption.
Transporting coffee by sail is a key challenge! It allows us, among other things, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And we aren’t just offering you sail-imported coffee: we are bringing you aboard a socially positive project that is particularly close to our hearts.
The impact of freight shipping
Cargo sailboat
- Journey time: 20 days on average
- Quality impact: transport via dedicated holds where the environment is controlled
- CO2 impact of the journey: 2g of CO2 emitted per km and per tonne
- Impact on the oceans: none 🐳💙
Container ship
- Journey time: 30 to 45 days
- Quality impact: overheating of goods and water leaks in containers
- CO2 impact of the journey: 20g of CO2 emitted per km and per tonne
- Impact on the oceans: noise pollution, acidification, ocean eutrophication
And does it really work?
Yes. The figures from the 2025 crossings speak for themselves, with 189.25 tonnes of CO2 saved. To continue growing this figure and encourage virtuous maritime transport, there is only one option: continue ordering the coffees concerned!
In 2025, 54.6% of our coffee shipments to our clients contained sail-imported coffee. What if together, we aimed for 75% for 2026?
Javry coffees imported by sailboat
- Almond 🐿️
- Lemon 🍋
- Caramel 🍮
Colombia
Granja Fabrica BIO
- Chocolate 🍫
- Honey 🍯
- Cereals 🌾
Brazil
Mosaico
- Brioche 🍞
- Dried fruits 🍇
- Cocoa 🍫
Brazil
Casal
A long-term project
2022
The bet is launched (by schooner)
2023
Construction of the cargo sailboat
Sept 2024
First crossing of the Anémos
Oct 2024
Arrival at the port of Le Havre
Nov 2024
The coffee is in your cups
Feb 2025
2 new references
May 2025
First quantified proofs
Sept 2025
Expansion of the offer
April 2026
Legal setbacks
May 2026
Encouraging political signal
Decarbonising coffee: efforts at every stage
It is important to remember: freight transport (and therefore coffee transport) only represents a fraction of its carbon footprint.
While every effort matters and innovations like sail transport are exciting, we want to highlight that improvements are to be made throughout the product’s life cycle.
The life phases with the heaviest carbon emissions are coffee production and consumption. We address these energy-intensive stages with other efforts:
- Choosing organic-certified coffees cultivated in agroforestry. ,
- Water-saving drying processes for natural coffees.
- Offering Made in Europe machines with a high reparability rate and high energy performance.
These efforts, which also become yours when you choose to drink Javry coffee, make a difference for our planet 🌍
Set sails!
Before getting your gear
FAQ
What is the problem with conventional cargo ships?
Let’s take the time to go into details. First, regarding environmental protection:
- CO2 emissions: In terms of strictly CO2 impact per tonne per km, maritime transport is often described as the most efficient mode of transport, not to mention other major impacts.
- Heavy fuel oil: Ships consume heavy fuel oil, a petroleum refining residue. It is a very viscous fuel whose incomplete combustion (black smoke) generates more than 20% of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide emissions (acid rain, cardiovascular diseases, eutrophication of marine areas), and heavily contributes to black carbon emissions (fine black film that darkens buildings in polluted cities). A container ship consumes 200,000 litres of heavy fuel oil per day.
- Noise pollution: The noise level of commercial maritime traffic is between 170 and 190 dB, which is nearly twice the level authorised in a nightclub (102 dB), causing physiological reactions in marine species and behavioural changes. Source: NDRC.com.
- Impact on biodiversity: Ballasting ships (water pumped into tanks to stabilise massive ships) is a vector for the transfer and spread of invasive species threatening one part of the world to another.
- Waste emissions: It is estimated that around 1,566 containers are lost at sea per year according to the World Shipping Council, which become a danger for navigation, not to mention the amount of floating debris on the surface or sinking to the bottom of the oceans.
Next, legislation is evolving and companies like ours must adapt. The cost of a tonne of CO2 (the famous carbon tax) went from 30 euros in February 2021 to 80 euros in July 2023, reaching 100 euros in March 2023, representing a threefold increase. The carbon quota system has expanded to maritime transport since this summer. It would only take this amount to double again, settling at 200 euros a tonne, for transport cost by sail to become cheaper than its carbon equivalent. Transport costs impact the final product price for consumers. We are therefore looking for the best solution to continue offering ethical and eco-friendly coffee at a fair price.
Is sail transport completely decarbonised?
No. Sail transport is the most decarbonised mode of transport to date. This is why we are investing in the project.
But its construction has a carbon impact. It amounts to 1,800 tonnes for a lifespan of 25 years. A classic container ship emits 90,000 tonnes for its construction, also for a lifespan of 25 years.
On average, over the entire life cycle of these two types of boats and on a route similar to that from Santa Marta to the port of Le Havre:
- A container ship will emit 80g of CO2 per kilo of goods transported.
- The cargo sailboat will emit 13g of CO2 per kilo of goods transported.
The cargo sailboat is therefore currently the best option.
What happens if there is no wind?
- The boat is equipped with routing software, whose objective is to optimise the sailboat’s route to seek out favourable winds. This software makes it possible to take the best crossing.
- If the route passes through windless zones, the engine will have to be used to arrive on time at the port of departure.
- According to wind statistics for the last 20 years, the wind is stable.
What are your other commitments for a more ethical coffee?
Transport is only one stage in the life of coffee. It is important to underline that we make efforts throughout its life cycle.
- Sourcing: we work directly with coffee producers and establish long-term relationships. They are paid fairly for their work. More information on sourcing at Javry →
- Farming techniques: our producers are part of a sustainable agriculture approach. 50% of our coffee comes from organic agriculture and is certified BIO by the control body Certisys.
- Packaging: our packaging is eco-friendly.
- Circular economy: we give a second life to coffee machines.
- Daily company life: we carry out a carbon footprint assessment of our company with the Tapio team, which allows us to know our impact and establish concrete objectives to reduce it. Discover our ecological commitments →
Media talking about our sailboat imported coffee
