The European Council raised concerns surrounding the no risk amendment to the EUDR, passed by the European Parliament in a vote on 14 November. The controversial amendment, which was provisionally dropped by the European leaders on 3 December, was proposed by the European People’s Party (EPP) at the time of the vote.

German MEP, Christine Schneider of the EPP, withdrew the party’s proposal to create the no risk status category under the EUDR on 2 December. “We promised and we have delivered. This postponement means businesses, foresters, farmers and authorities will have an additional year to prepare,” she said in a statement, adding, “An impact assessment and further simplification is to follow in the review stage for the low risk countries or regions providing countries with an incentive to improve their forest conservation practices.”

The EPP’s withdrawal follows the European Parliament’s vote to delay the EUDR by 12 months, which remains in effect. Companies will have one more year to adapt to new EU rules to prevent deforestation, which will ban the sale of products sourced from deforested land in the EU. A statement released by the European Parliament announced that on Tuesday evening (2 December), negotiators from the Parliament and Council reached a provisional political agreement to postpone the application of the new rules. Large operators and traders will now have to respect the obligations of this regulation as of 30 December 2025, and micro- and small enterprises from 30 June 2026. This additional time is intended to help companies around the world implement the rules more smoothly from the beginning, without undermining the objectives of the law.

The Commission proposed postponing the application date of the deforestation regulation by one year in response to concerns raised by EU member states, non-EU countries, traders and operators that they would not be able to fully comply with the rules if applied from the end of 2024.

Following requests from Parliament, The Commission committed to continue easing the burden on businesses by reducing administrative requirements and eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic burdens

In terms of next steps, the vote on the informal agreement between the co-legislators will be added to the agenda of Parliament’s next plenary session (16-19 December). In order for the postponement to enter into force, the agreed text has to be endorsed by both Parliament and Council and published in the EU Official Journal before the end of the year. — Vanessa L Facenda

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The prize was awarded by an independent international jury of nine experts who chose the best among the winners of the 9 single-origins that make up the recipe of the unique illy blend: Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nicaragua and Rwanda.

The SMS Cluster ECOM of Nicaragua won the Coffee Lovers’ Choice award, voted for by consumers around the world who in the weeks leading up to the event blindly tasted the same samples in illy coffees.

“For the second year in a row, a Brazilian company that adopts regenerative practices has given us the best coffee in the world. In the Fazenda Serra do Boné, the health of the soil, biodiversity, and water sources are preserved thanks to the use of organic fertilizers, biological control and the reuse of processing by-products,” said Andrea Illy, chairman of illycaffè. “We are once again noticing important signs that confirm how regenerative agriculture is the right path towards a more resilient production capable of guaranteeing productivity and superior quality, of which coffee is the forerunner with the highest growth rates.”

The panel of judges who selected the Best of the Best included Massimo Bottura, chef patron of Osteria Francescana and founder of Food for Soul; Viki Geunes, chef-owner of three-Michelin-starred Zilte in Antwerp; Felipe Rodriguez, head chef at São Paulo’s Rosewood Complex; Vanúsia Nogueira, executive director of the International Coffee Organization (ICO); Q Grader professional tasters Felipe Isaza and Dessalegn Oljirra Gemeda; journalists Vanessa Zocchetti (Madame Figaro), Sebastian Späth (Falstaff), and Josh Condon (Robb Report).

The jury described Fazenda Serra do Boné’s award-winning coffee as creamy, sweet, and full-bodied, with an elegant balance of fresh fruit aromas, caramel undertones, subtle hints of brown sugar, and a persistent chocolate finish with floral notes of jasmine – a beautifully complex coffee that perfectly embodies its Brazilian origin.

This year’s event attracted a diverse group of public figures, including Francis Ford Coppola, Marina Abramović, Pat Cleveland, Alex Riviere, Chiara Maci, Candela Pelizza, Tamu McPherson, Sveva Alviti, Christoph Leitner, Simon e Marina Ksandr, Nick Lowry, Maddy Devita, Justine Martilotti, and Brittany Leigh Ball. The celebration of coffee excellence took place at a gala dinner at Peak in Hudson Yards, hosted by Spanish TV journalist Olivia Frejus Lloyd.

Beyond awards, the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award fosters global discussions on coffee sustainability. The day began at the United Nations headquarters in New York where representatives from across the coffee supply chain gathered for a roundtable discussion titled “Global Coffee Alliance: Mobilizing a Public-Private Fund to Fight Climate Change.” The panel, moderated by Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation, featured chairman Andrea Illy, Italian Ambassador to the UN, Maurizio Massari; executive director of the ICO, Vanúsia Nogueira; chef and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, Massimo Bottura; UNIDO project manager, Andrea De Marco; senior director of sustainable coffee at Conservation International, Raina Lang; and UNEP director for the New York office, Jamil Ahmad; who explored initiatives to advance sustainable coffee production in the face of climate challenges.

The panel emphasised the urgent need to transition coffee cultivation to a regenerative model to enhance resilience, improve farmer livelihoods, and reduce environmental impact. A major focus was on establishing a USD $10 billion public-private fund over the next decade, which will target smallholder coffee farmers in tropical regions heavily impacted by climate change.

“Since Expo 2015, we have worked tirelessly to build a framework to protect coffee for generations to come,” said Andrea Illy. “Regenerative agriculture has shown it can produce high yields and quality while restoring natural resources. We must act quickly to scale these solutions globally through an international fund. It is essential we implement regenerative solutions now, as we see they work and deliver positive outcomes.”

Throughout the discussion, panelists underscored the importance of uniting stakeholders from governments, international organisations, and the private sector to bring impactful, lasting change to coffee-growing communities. Reichenbach highlighted that consumer awareness and participation are key drivers in the industry’s sustainability journey.

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Following a vote on 14 November in Brussels, Belgium, the European Parliament confirmed to delay implementing the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) –a plan that was already endorsed by the Council of Ministers – until December 2025.

Adopted on 19 April 2023 and initially due to be enforced on 30 December 2024, the EUDR proposes to ban the export of products associated with deforestation, such as coffee beans, cocoa beans, soya, cattle, rubber, palm oil, and wood. The law also applies to European farmers.

Third countries, member states, operators and traders will have more time to prepare for the due diligence obligations imposed by the EUDR. Large operators and traders would have to adhere to the requirements stemming from the EUDR as of 30 December 2025, whereas micro- and small enterprises would have until 30 June 2026. In a statement released by the European Parliament, “this additional time would help operators around the world to implement the rules smoothly from the start without undermining the objectives of the law.”

Parliament also adopted other amendments proposed by the political groups such as the European People’s Party (EPP), including the creation of a new category of countries posing “no risk” on deforestation in addition to the existing three categories of “low”, “standard” and “high” risk. Countries classified as “no risk”, defined as countries with stable or increasing forest area development, would face significantly less stringent requirements as there is a negligible or non-existent risk of deforestation. The Commission will have to finalise a country-benchmarking system by 30 June 2025.

Multiple proponents of the EUDR have called out the move. In a statement on LinkedIn, Rainforest Alliance said the no-risk category would be “a death sentence to the EUDR.”

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued a statement saying, “The European Parliament, driven by the European People’s Party (EPP), voted for amendments to substantially weaken the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) de facto deregulating and undermining one of the EU’s landmark environmental laws. By introducing a category of “no risk” countries, the EPP and its allies have effectively voted to enable further forest destruction both within and outside of Europe. The move undermines the efforts of forward-thinking companies that have invested in deforestation-free supply chains to comply with EUDR requirements in time for its application on 30 December 2024.”

Parliament is now referring this file back to committee for interinstitutional negotiations. In order for these changes to enter into force, the agreed text will have to be endorsed by both Council and Parliament and published in the EU Official Journal.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 420 million hectares of forest – an area larger than the EU – were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2020. EU consumption represents around 10% of global deforestation. Palm oil and soya beans account for more than two-thirds of this. — Vanessa L Facenda

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New Dawn Traders began in 2012, with the opportunity to sail aboard the Irene of Bridgewater to transport olive oil from Portugal to Brazil. Despite this being a failed mission, this voyage opened the door to future success.

With the cost of living rising, and supermarkets dominating supply chains with “cheap” options, it’s easy to think the idea of transporting coffee and produce by sail cargo is an unrealistic one. However, over the past 12 years, consumer demands have shifted dramatically, and many businesses now place sustainability at the heart of their operations.

Creating a more sustainable and ethical supply chain is proving its worth against all odds. The Vermont Sail Freight Project, the Sail Transport Network in the United States, the Greenheart Project in Fiji, TOWT in France, Holland’s Fairtransport, and B9 Shipping are just a few of the pioneering initiatives in sail cargo.

The focus is on British, Irish, and Dutch shores, where independent coffee roasters such as Farm Hand Coffee, based in Dublin, and Yallah Coffee, based in Cornwall, have teamed up with sailors to connect communities on both sides of the Atlantic.

It’s not every morning — or even throughout the day — that we think about the impact of our cup of coffee. But in my opinion, it would be quite mind-blowing to open my coffee jar every day and know that it had travelled thousands of nautical miles to reach me.

When spending company funds with large multinational corporations, local communities and farmers certainly miss out on the economic benefits.

As a final consumer, or as a business, it’s impossible not to feel much more connected to the process and the people behind the product when coffee, tea, or any other commodity is shipped by sail. After all, our coffee only reaches us thanks to a crew going with the wind.

• Inês Coutinho, digital editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: ines@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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For nearly three decades, Kicking Horse Coffee has stood for uncompromising ethics, bold flavours and an unapologetic attitude. The beloved Canadian brand from the Rockies has built a loyal following by crafting its coffee in partnership with Fairtrade farmers who pour pride into every bean. Now, Kicking Horse is kicking things up a notch.

To meet growing demand, Kicking Horse has teamed up with Keurig to bring its premium, Fairtrade, and organic blends to more homes across North America. Now available in Kick Ass (Dark Roast), Three Sisters (Medium Roast), and Happy Camper (Medium Roast), these K-Cups offer the same rich, bold flavour Kicking Horse fans love — crafted to match the full-bodied experience of a traditional pour-over, in a convenient format.

Its new “Kickstart Your Heart” campaign is a first for the brand and taps into the bold and fearless essence of Kicking Horse Coffee. Featuring a playful visual of a donkey riding a motorcycle (and set to Mötley Crüe’s “Kickstart My Heart”), it reflects how coffee powers action and productivity in a fresh, irreverent way. The campaign reflects CMO Lori Hatcher-Hillier’s ethos: “Coffee is the conduit to getting s*** done every day.”

The story behind Kicking Horse is as rich as their beans. Founded in Invermere, BC, the brand is committed to empowering farmers, ensuring every cup tells a story of integrity and grit. Through Fairtrade partnerships, they aim to support coffee producers by facilitating fair compensation, which helps invest in their communities and improve livelihoods through access to education, healthcare, and sustainable practices.

The full product range is now available on the Kicking Horse Coffee website and at major retailers across Canada. The MSRP is CAD $25.99 for 24ct and CAD $12.99 for 10ct.

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The International Coffee Convention (ICC) was established in 2023 to address the pressing issues facing the coffee industry. The inaugural ICC identified these challenges and highlighted the opportunities within them, setting the stage for actionable solutions. While there were originally no plans to hold a second ICC so soon after the first, Dr Steffen Schwarz, founder of the ICC, said the overwhelming response and the need for continuity in tackling these challenges led to the organisation of the second ICC in 2024.

The ICC 2024 program, the theme of which is ‘Coffee in Transition’, is designed to tackle pressing issues in the coffee industry. Key sessions include:
1. Future Landscape of Multiple Coffee Species: Addressing species such as Robusta, Racemosa, and Stenophylla within the context of the Nagoya Protocol.
2. Land Use and Coffee Farming Systems: Exploring deforestation policies and innovations in coffee fermentation and processing technologies.
3. Advancements in Coffee Preparation and Business: Covering the journey from roasting to creating the perfect café crème.
4. Sustainable Utilisation of Coffee By-Products: Discussing challenges and opportunities in utilising coffee by-products sustainably.
5. Coffee and Health: Examining the nutritional impacts, benefits, and substantiating health claims of coffee.

The event will also include unique cupping sessions to explore rare coffee species:
• Rare Species Cup tasting
• Liberica Cup tasting

Additionally, there will be a live research project on sensory coffee preference testing, providing attendees with hands-on experience in evaluating coffee maturity and freshness. Among the key scientific presentations, the ICC will showcase a groundbreaking study on the impact of post-roast maturation on the sensory experience of coffee, offering new insights into how aging affects coffee flavour and quality.

The Kaldi Awards, which celebrate significant advancements and research in the coffee industry, will be presented during the convention, recognising outstanding contributions in various categories such as lifetime achievement, green coffee cultivation and processing, roasting, and preparation.

The International Coffee Convention is designed to be an unparalleled gathering for ‘anyone passionate about coffee’ — from farmers and roasters to traders and researchers. By fostering collaboration and sharing cutting-edge research, the convention aims to drive the industry towards a sustainable and innovative future.

For the full programme, visit: coffee-convention.com/Program/.

For more information and to register for the event, please visit: International Coffee Convention.

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The Signature collection complements the company’s diverse line of coffees, focusing specifically on small-batch seasonal single-origin offerings from across the globe. This is a project born out of passion and a love of the very best coffee. Farrer’s dedicated team of roasters have painstakingly handpicked and selected premium single-origin coffees from some of the most sought-after coffee crops produced from small single-estate plantations.

The latest additions to the range include Boa Vista, a coffee from Brazil, in South America. Boa Vista Farm is a 52-hectare farm run by Anderson Monteiro, whose family first became involved in coffee production in the 1970s and ever since has been producing quality innovative coffee. This particular coffee has a distinctive creamy body bursting with notes of tropical fruits, lemon and honey, rounded off with a floral finish.

The second coffee is from La Gloria Estate, in Panama, Central America. Finca La Gloria is located in the highlands of Boquete and is part of the estate owned by Norberto Suarez and his family. It was first registered as a farm in 1904 and has been growing in this renowned coffee-producing area ever since. This coffee has a smooth body, with some background citrus notes and flavours of tropical fruit and caramel.

The third coffee is Mubuga Natural from northern Burundi, in Central East Africa. Mubuga Washing Station, located in the Ngozi region of Burundi, is owned by Bugental, a family-owned farm-to-roaster business, which supplies a network of very small-scale farmers. This coffee is complex, with notes of blackcurrant, and stone fruits including ripe plums, finishing with hints of dark chocolate and smooth caramel.

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“It’s an amazing result given the concern about whether a new generation would want to take over family farms or be willing to embrace the challenges that come with producing extraordinary coffee. These young farmers, much like the new generation of coffee roasters, are implementing innovative methods and a deep passion for coffee as a career,” said Erwin Mierisch, executive director of The Alliance for Coffee Excellence and Cup of Excellence.  “We are so impressed with their creativity and their efforts,” he continued.

Seven of the thirty winners are women, who through persistence walked on stage to accept their awards. Sara Corrales represents the second generation of coffee growers and is also a member of the Nicaragua chapter of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance.

At the awards ceremony, Samuel Zavala explained how he took over his family farm in 2018 following the death of his father. “When my father died in an accident and I took over the farm I had been working on with him learning about farming, but it was really hard. Specialty coffee was a real challenge since much of the farm was commercial coffees sold to exporters. I felt a lot of fear about whether I could sell this coffee at a sustainable price. Six years later, I am very happy with how my work has been rewarded. This competition is really important for opening doors. Even my sons are excited to stay in coffee and learn about either the farm or about cupping.”

 As with other younger farmers Octavio Peralta Jr. also utilised his academic knowledge to experiment with cutting-edge coffee fermentation and won an award for the family. “Each farmer always has a unique story and enters with distinctive coffees,” explained Kathia Lopez, auction manager for The Alliance For Coffee Excellence, “Winning farmers won with Parainema, Pacamara, Maragogype, and the coveted Geisha varieties,” she continued.

The upcoming auction on 20 June is crucial. Specialty buyers that desire sustainable high-quality coffees should participate and bid on these exceptional coffees, says the Alliance. The auction is a direct way to offer these hardworking farmers the financial support needed to continue producing high-quality coffees.

For more information about the auction and how you can participate, visit allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org.

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Announcing the new sustainability goals under Coffee LENS (Livelihoods, Empowerment, and Nature at Scale) 2.0, coffee chief executive, Vivek Verma said, “Our targets are ambitious, but they’re backed by a sustainability journey spanning 20 years and represent the next chapter in our long-term ambition to build more resilient and regenerative coffee supply chains.”

More specifically, ofi has established the following four focus areas for its coffee business up to 2030:

• Improving farmer livelihoods: Expanding segmentation models to deliver customised support to 300,000 farmer households, with 20,000 achieving a living income
• Empowering communities: Implementing Child Labor Monitoring & Remediation Systems (CLMRS) in all high-risk supply chains with 50,000 children benefitting from educational support to protect human rights
• Accelerating decarbonisation: Scaling up climate-smart actions and resource efficiency to reduce on-farm GHG emissions by 30% and by 50% in processing plants
• Restoring coffee landscapes: Working towards regenerative production systems to build Natural Capital while embedding geo-spatial tools in deforestation monitoring systems

“Our history of effective action for farmers, rural communities, climate and nature, as highlighted in our recent Impact Report, shows that we understand and can develop effective strategies to simultaneously address the most pressing challenges in the industry. Which is why, with the constantly evolving requirements of a sustainable coffee supply chain, we are looking to scale up our efforts and action under Coffee LENS with bigger and bolder targets for 2030,” Verma added.

The new targets come as food companies look to prepare for increasingly active enforcement on human rights and new EU rules on disclosing nature and climate risks, requiring the industry to move faster than ever before on traceability, human rights, and environmental due diligence in order to remain relevant.

ofi’s coffee teams, embedded in 18 origins across the coffee belt, will draw on innovation and digital capabilities to develop and scale solutions that tackle issues from child labour risks to deforestation, helping its customers to navigate the evolving landscape and achieve their responsible sourcing commitments. For example, a Carbon Sequestration Monitoring (CSM) tool developed by ofi and Google geo-spatial partner, NGIS, is being rolled out to measure and account for gains and losses in carbon stocks on ofi’s coffee, as well as cashew and cocoa, suppliers’ farms, and sourcing landscapes.

The digital tool is one of several helping to bolster ofi’s existing monitoring frameworks and drive more efficient interventions to help meet its targets, which include implementing remediation actions whenever deforestation risks are identified in its supply chains. Verma concluded, “Our bolder approach means that whether we’re supplying specialty coffees, cascara applications, or plant-based latte mixes, we can offer our roaster and manufacturer customers beverage ingredients that come with greater transparency and sustainability impact across their supply chains.”

Discover much more about what ofi has to offer at ofi.com.

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The award, named after the visionary leader of illycaffè and the son of the company’s founder, celebrates the work that the Trieste, Italy-based company has been doing every day for the last 30 years, side-by-side with coffee farmers, to offer the best possible sustainable coffee. The award was presented to the winner by illycaffè chairman Andrea Illy during an event held at the New York Public Library in New York.

EIICA celebrates the finest Arabica coffees sourced from all over the world. This event aims to recognize growers for the quality coffee they tirelessly work to produce. The award was assigned by an independent panel of nine experts who examined the best batches from the 2022-2023 harvest through a blind tasting of nine coffees from the nine finalist countries: Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nicaragua, and Rwanda. Prior to being evaluated by the panel, each batch of coffee was analysed by illycaffè’s quality control labs and rated in terms of richness and aromatic complexity, the elegance and balance of its flavour and intensity of its aroma.

Guatemala’s Finca Danilandia di Luis Arimany Mondonico won the Coffee Lovers’ Choice Award, assigned by a panel of consumers who, in the weeks prior to the event, carried out blind taste tests of the coffee samples in illy cafés in Trieste, Milan, Paris, London, Sao Paolo and New York and ranked their preferences.

“The absolute victory of the Brazilian coffee coming from regenerative agriculture – chosen blindly among the nine best coffees in the world – fills me with joy. Indeed, the history of the Ernesto Illy Award began in Brazil in 1991 and this confirms that the rewards received, by illycaffè for having transformed Brazil from a leader in quantity to a leader in quality are well-deserved,” said Andrea Illy. “After more than 25 years of neverending and tireless work by our team of agronomists and the University of Coffee, the leap has finally happened thanks to regenerative agriculture, which we decided to develop in 2018 for the benefits it brings to the environment and everyone’s health.”

The panel that voted for the Best of the Best award included Guatemala’s professional taster Silvia Escobar; the President of Federação dos Cafeicultores do Cerrado, Brasilian Glaucio De Castro; the director of the CoffeeLab quality laboratory, Indian Sunalini Narayan Menon; chef Ricard Camarena, who has been awarded two Michelin stars and a green star for his dedication to sustainability at his Ricard Camarena Restaurant in Valencia; American chefs Carrie and Rupert Blease, who manage the Michelin-starred Lord Stanley restaurant in San Francisco; Andrea Aprea, a Michelin-starred chef with a restaurant bearing his name in Milan; French writer and journalist Adelaide de Clermont-Tonnere, editor-in-chief of Point de Vue magazine; Inga Griese, founder and editor-in-chief of ICON, the style supplement of the German newspaper Welt Am Sonntag; Angelina Villa Clarke, a journalist contributing to prestigious English-language publications including Forbes.

Commenting on the winning coffee, the jury said, “This year’s Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award winner is a rounded, wholesome, and fully bodied cup, with rich yet mellow flavors of a balance of chocolate, caramel, brown sugar, and toasted almonds on a bed of refined brightness, with a lingering finish of mild, gentle, yet harmonious sweetness. It truly represents the finest taste characteristics of its origin.”

Martha Stewart, Matilda De Angelis, Pat Cleveland, Coco Rocha, Candela Pelizza, Tamu Mc Pherson, Carlo Sestini, Simon and Marina Ksandr, Nick Lowry, Tesa Pesic are some of the celebrities who attended the gala event at the New York Public Library, hosted by chef and TV star Marcus Samuelsson, to celebrate the best coffee producers who work behind the unique illy blend.

The Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award is also an unmissable networking opportunity for all those involved in the coffee industry, from producers to exporters, from traders to institutional representatives. In the morning they all met at the United Nations Headquarters to attend a panel discussion on protecting the future of coffee. Alongside illycaffè chairman Andrea Illy, speakers included Vanusia Nogueira, executive director, International Coffee Organization; Jeffrey Sachs, professor of economy at Columbia University and co-chair at the Regenerative Society Foundation; Oscar Schaps, president of the Latin American division of Stone X Financial Inc; and Glaucio de Castro, president of the Federação dos Cafeicultores do Cerrado Mineiro. (For a full recap of the event at the UN, see the Editor’s Blog: “The time is now” to invest in regenerative agriculture (teaandcoffee.net).

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Climate change is putting coffee-growing areas under pressure. Smallholder coffee farmers are exposed to the risk of irregular weather conditions that can affect their crops.

On the occasion of International Coffee Day, Nestlé announced that it is piloting a weather insurance programme in Indonesia for more than 800 smallholder coffee farmers that supply coffee to its brand, Nescafé. The company is launching the insurance scheme in collaboration with Blue Marble, a specialist in climate insurance. The insurance provides financial protection to help farmers cope with unpredictable weather patterns of rainfall and severe drought.

Marcelo Burity, global head of Nestlé’s green coffee development, said, “This weather insurance helps to establish a support mechanism for smallholder coffee farmers in Indonesia. It allows them to access financial resources to re-establish their crops in the event of irregular weather conditions while building resilience in coffee farms.”

The insurance uses satellite-based climate data to determine when coffee output has been impacted by either too much or not enough rainfall during key phases of the crop cycle. Payments are issued automatically to registered coffee farmers that have been affected, according to the severity of the weather.

“Smallholder coffee farmers in Indonesia are vulnerable to climate risks and need access to insurance to protect against extreme weather events,” said Jaime de Piniés, CEO of Blue Marble. “We are proud to partner with Nestlé and its brand Nescafé to develop innovative ways to support the climate adaptation of smallholder coffee farmers and their families.”

This initiative is an integral part of the Nescafé Plan 2030, the brand’s vision to support the long term sustainability of coffee and to help improve farmers’ livelihoods. Based on the results of the pilot, Nestlé will determine whether to expand the approach to other Nescafé sourcing locations around the world.

Sharing knowledge to accelerate the transition to regenerative agriculture

Changing agricultural practices requires access to knowledge and time to learn and implement. By moving to regenerative agriculture, coffee farmers can help restore soil health, reverse biodiversity loss, and strengthen ecosystems. Doing so also helps reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.

Nestlé, has contributed to the ‘Regenerative Agriculture for Low-Carbon and Resilient Coffee Farms – A Practical Guidebook,’ developed by the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). This guidebook provides field agronomists, trainers and professionals working with coffee farmers with a set of best practices that they can use and adapt to different farming contexts, helping farmers transition to regenerative agriculture. These best practices include agroforestry, intercropping, soil conservation and cover crops, integrated weed and pest management, integrated nutrient management, efficient water use, waste valorisation, landscape actions and the rejuvenation of coffee trees with well adapted varieties.

Pascal Chapot, global head of sustainable agriculture development at Nestlé, said, “The guidebook gives coffee farmers a set of field actions they can implement tomorrow to help them become more resilient to climate change and to diversify their sources of income. Knowledge is key, and we hope that this guidebook makes these regenerative agriculture practices more accessible to farmers and supports an accelerated transition towards them. This is essential to tackling the climate challenges ahead.”

Mirjam Pulleman, senior soil ecologist and co-author of the guidebook said, “Creating real impact on the ground requires learning from real experiences with farmers in different origins and providing incentives to support farmers in their journey. The best practices highlighted in the guidebook are a starting point. Each practice will need to be tailored to the specificities of each country of origin, the different farm types, the surrounding landscapes and the resources available.”

From Nestlé’s perspective, the guidebook complements the Nestlé Regenerative Agriculture Framework (pdf, 18Mb). Nestlé considers regenerative agriculture to be a key component of its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to reach net zero by 2050. It is also a central pillar of its coffee sustainability programmes, the Nescafé Plan 2030 and the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality programme.

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The International Coffee Organization (ICO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) play a complementary role in promoting the realisation of and the need for sustainable, responsible and inclusive workplace practices.

On this year’s International Coffee Day (ICD) – 1 October 2023 – the ICO and ILO are jointly launching the #CoffeePeople campaign and a social media challenge around the theme “promoting the right to a safe and healthy working environment in the coffee supply chain.”

A celebration of the coffee sector’s diversity, quality and dedication, International Coffee Day is an opportunity for coffee lovers to share their passion for the beverage and acknowledge and support the work of millions of coffee farmers, as well of all those women and men engaged in producing, trading, retailing, and serving coffee.

The #CoffeePeople campaign will also raise awareness of ILO’s Vision Zero Fund, a G7 and G20 initiative that brings stakeholders together to advance towards the vision of achieving zero severe and fatal work-related accidents, injuries, and diseases in global supply chains.

In recognition of International Coffee Day, the ICO and ILO are co-hosting a series of events. These initiatives will establish new resources and opportunities aimed at enhancing the working conditions for coffee sector workers, in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The campaign will seek the direct involvement of some producing and consuming countries, international organisations active in the coffee sector, coffee brands and celebrities. Join the campaign by sharing a selfie with your coffee cup and dedicating it to coffee workers.

The companies are counting on your support and enthusiasm to help spread the word about the #CoffeePeople campaign via your own platforms, and to follow the celebrations on International Coffee Day, on 1 October 2023.

Vanúsia Nogueira, executive director of the ICO, commented, “All workers deserve to enjoy decent and safe working conditions. This implies, as a minimum, rules for working hours, adequate payment of wages and effective monitoring of health and safety at work. The coffee sector, which employs millions of people around the world, can be a model of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, where all workers are treated with dignity and respect. We are working hard towards this. I am proud that today, together with the ILO, the ICO is committed to leading and modelling a better coffee workplace to meet all challenges.

Promoting respect for international labour rights and helping key stakeholders commit to upholding these rights is essential to achieve inclusive growth, strengthen the stability and sustainability of the coffee sector, and improve the quality of life for workers.”

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The revolving credit facility will pilot more-efficient dissemination of loan funds to qualifying coffee cooperatives participating in Heifer International’s Beyond Coffee II Project in Chiapas, Mexico. The investment will be facilitated through the EthicHub ReFi platform, a pioneering web-based platform serving smallholder farmers for whom traditional finance solutions have historically been less accessible and available. In Mexico, less than 6% of farmers have access to credit in the traditional finance sector.

Devised as an innovative and more-targeted way to strengthen access and timely availability of capital to smallholder coffee farmers, the investment will address shortcomings hindering access to finance, such as high transaction costs, long lead times to approval and disbursements, fixed collateral requirements and other well-known barriers to credit.

The revolving credit line is designed to provide working capital directly to coffee cooperatives during the harvest season. As only 1.5% of financial products are channeled to the rural sector, smallholders often struggle to access financing, which is often not aligned with farmers’ productive conditions. The credit facility will remain open for other purposes to secure financing and is intended to demonstrate the viability of using this financing instrument to provide more ready and efficient access to capital to pre-selected cooperatives in Chiapas.

“Smallholder farmers are the backbone of the agricultural industry in Latin America, and they face significant challenges in accessing sector-specific and efficient financial instruments,” said Jorge Barrigh, Heifer Impact Capital’s regional director for the Americas. “Our investment with the EthicHub ReFi platform enables us to address very specific challenges that for too long have represented obstacles to an efficient and streamlined capital delivery system all the way to the last mile in rural Latin America.”

The investment aims to significantly ease the availability of finance and access to targeted cooperatives at a 9.9% interest rate ceiling, competitive with the average interest rate in Mexico. In a bid to implement a more integrated solution that addresses shortcomings beyond interest rates, this solution also seeks to simplify and “open” the black box of costs and processes that often delay timing in approvals and delivery of resources.

By emphasizing the importance of a more transparent and traceable process, the initiative will directly benefit from the use of blockchain and smart contract innovations that prioritize speed, security and transparency, while also adopting an innovative approach to the risk-collateral solution, which is often among the more complicated obstacles for smallholder farmers.

Heifer Impact Capital’s investment reflects its commitment to build partnerships with country offices and programs, as well as forward leaning accelerators such as Heifer Labs that ease the leveraging and field-testing of innovative approaches — much-needed solutions to mainstreaming sustainable and bankable investments that strengthen targeted agricultural value chains in Latin America.

The Heifer-EthicHub relationship will provide game-changing field experience and insights that showcase the application of fintech solutions in mainstream finance vehicles to benefit smallholder farmers in last mile applications.

HIC and Heifer Labs are strongly committed to innovating, improving and amplifying choices in access to capital for farmer-owned businesses and agri-entrepreneurs to tangibly improve livelihoods, promote sustainable agriculture practices, and spur cascading positive impacts in these underserved rural economies.

For more information on HIC and its work in Latin America, visit their website at https://www.heifer.org/our-work/our-model/impact-investing/index.html

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Nordic Approach, founded in 2011 by Morten Wennersgaard and Andreas Hertzberg, is one of the most respected specialty coffee importers in the world. Based in Oslo, the team has created a remarkable identity and value for their customers through exceptional quality in coffee, services, information, and marketing.

In 2017, Nordic Approach spun off its sourcing department – Tropiq – to serve not only micro-roasters and small volumes of specialty coffee, but also roasters that were looking for high-quality coffee in larger volumes. With colleagues in Ethiopia and Colombia, Tropiq has a strong focus on fostering farmer relationships on the ground.

“With the acquisition of the majority of shares in Nordic Approach and Tropiq, said NKG Group CEO David M. Neumann, “we are confident that we now are in an ideal position to expand our specialty business not just in Scandinavia, but across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. At the same time, we will become better business partners for producers and sellers of the highest quality coffees and to offer a full range of green coffee and coffee-related services to the high-quality focused Scandinavian market.”

Hamburg, Germany-based NKG is a green coffee service group, that operates more than 50 companies in 26 countries.

Morten Wennersgaard and Andreas Hertzberg remain as minority shareholders and will continue leading and developing the companies as managing directors.

“Nordic Approach, Tropiq and NKG are aligned in the focus on sustainability and supporting coffee growing communities at scale. We believe that this step will open doors to new possibilities, collaborations, and resources that will benefit our team, our customers and the specialty coffee community,” said Wennersgaard and Hertzberg. “As part of the NKG network, we will continue our journey of growth while upholding the values and practices that have made us successful. We’re extremely motivated to extend our product range, increase presence in existing markets and expand our specialty coffee business worldwide, thanks to Nordic’s and NKG’s joint vision and expertise. Together, we’ll make a global impact and continue to bring amazing coffee to even more people.”

Everyone at NKG is welcoming Morten, Andreas, and their teams in Oslo, Addis Ababa and Bogotá. Wennersgaard and Hertzberg, along with other colleagues from the group, will be representing NKG at the World of Coffee in Athens, 22-24 June.

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The Coffee Clubs project is carried out together with a partner in the regions of Mbeya and Mbozi in Tanzania. Martha Kimboi coordinates the now seven coffee clubs:

“We were expecting 50 young people per school – currently there are almost 700 who take part in the coffee clubs in total. I am incredibly proud to be able to train and promote what may be the next generation of coffee farmers!” Martha Kimboi, project manager, Tanzania Coffee Clubs, commented.

Making coffee cultivation more sustainable

In Tanzania’s coffee-growing regions, it is common for children to take over their parents’ coffee farms – often due to a lack of other work alternatives. The farms are run for generations and the knowledge is passed on from generation to generation without further developing the cultivation techniques. At the same time, unsustainable coffee cultivation is not lucrative for farmers in the long run.

This is where the Coffee Club project comes in and focuses on sustainable coffee cultivation in order to secure coffee cultivation in the regions in the future. For example, the young farmers learn what natural fertilisers are available, how to best protect water and soil, and which sales channels are suitable for sustainable coffee.

The coffee yield from the school clubs has grown steadily since the beginning of the project. Now Tchibo has been able to purchase the coffee from the coffee clubs and produce the special rarity “Kahawa Skuli” for the first time. The sale of coffee means an additional source of income for the young farmers, for example for new school books.

“The young people are incredibly proud to be part of the project. They’d love to start right away and plant as many trees as they can, as they now see how they’re making a profit by harvesting their own coffee,” said Martha Kimboi.

The rarity “Kahawa Skuli” tastes like blackberry and dark chocolate and will be available at a price of €9.99 per 500 g whole bean.

For more informaiton, visit: tchibo.com.

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Across the three days, attendees gained hands-on practical skills and coffee knowledge during over 27 workshops and 64 lectures. 280 individuals participated in the Green Coffee Buyers and Sellers Program looking to begin long-term relationships.

The 2023 Best New Product Competition recognised six new products at the Expo in six different categories, judged on their quality and value to the specialty coffee and tea industry. The SCA awarded the following product and companies during the event:

• Coffee Accessories – Ion Beam by Acaia
• Commercial Coffee Preparation and Serving – Latte Art Factory Bar Pro by Latte Art Factory
• Consumer Coffee Preparation and Serving – The Barista Touch Impress by Breville
• Open Class – Redefined by Rarebird, Inc
• Specialty Coffee Beverage Additive – Puremade Toasted Black Sesame Syrup by Torani
• Specialty Non-Coffee Beverage Standalone – Ginger Spice Chai Concentrate by Art of Tea

The Coffee Design Awards, also awarded at Expo, recognised three companies for their ingenuity, style, and character in three categories:

• Branding – Dear Francis
• Packaging – Stereoscope
• Spaces – The Boy & The Bear

2023 US Coffee Championships
The 2023 US Coffee Championships featured six competitions across three days. The six new US Coffee Champions will represent the United States in the World Coffee Championships taking place in Athens, Greece and Taipei, Taiwan later this year:

• US Barista Champion: Isaiah Sheese, Archetype Coffee
• US Brewers Cup Champion: Wenbo Yang, Artly Coffee
• US Coffee in Good Spirits Champion: Sam Schroeder, Olympia Coffee
• US Cup Tasters Champion: Jake Donaghy, Olympia Coffee Roasting
• US Roasting Champion: Andrew Coe, Elevator Coffee
• US Latte Art Champion: Piyapat Lapteerawut, Coffee Project NY

The Specialty Coffee Expo will head to Chicago Illinois in 2024, taking place 12-14 April at McCormick Place. The SCA announced that 54% of the show floor for the 2024 Expo has already sold out.

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Hospitality businesses of all shapes and sizes fundraise by donating from every cup or bag of coffee sold, or by running events and activities in store.

A host of activities will be taking place across the country, including Latte Art Throwdowns, raffle competitions with great prizes, espresso martini parties, and more. Coffee enthusiasts can find out where the closest coffee shop is that will be taking part by visiting the UK Coffee Week map and What’s On page.

The UK Coffee Week bus will also be back for an interactive pop-up at Boxpark Shoreditch on the 13th and 14th of October. The bus will be serving up free plant powered coffee from Alpro and Caravan Coffee Roasters.

Since 2011, the UK Coffee Week community has raised over £800,000 for Project Waterfall, reaching over 45,000 people with clean drinking water, sanitation and education.

The funds raised during UK Coffee Week 2022 will go to Project Waterfall’s new initiative in the Berbere district of Ethiopia. 40,000 people will have access to clean water and sanitation when this three-year project is completed.

“UK Coffee Week is about celebrating the coffee industry as well as supporting coffee-growing communities. The campaign is an opportunity for us to all come together and make a real impact on the communities that grow our coffee by providing them with a sustainable source of clean drinking water and sanitation,” said Rebecca Hodgson, director of Project Waterfall and UK Coffee Week. “As Project Waterfall’s flagship fundraising campaign, UK Coffee Week gives every coffee shop the power to make a difference no matter their size, while engaging their team and having fun!”

More than 770 million people around the world do not have access to clean water. The majority live in isolated, rural areas – the same areas growing our coffee. Project Waterfall was established by Jeffrey Young in 2011 to unite the coffee industry and coffee consumers to give back to the communities growing our coffee, by investing in sustainable clean water, sanitation and hygiene projects.

Headline sponsor Alpro, and category sponsors Fulfil and Green Rock Manufacturing, are excited to support the campaign. Graham Kelly, head of coffee at Alpro, said, “As a long-standing supporter of UK Coffee Week, we are excited to be taking this a step further by becoming headline sponsor in 2022. Project Waterfall is an excellent initiative, and we are proud that we are playing a bigger role this year in driving even more donations.”

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Green Coffee Price
The ICO Composite Indicator Price (I-CIP) lost 0.2% from August to September 2022, averaging 199.63 US cents/lb for the latter, whilst posting a median value of 198.43 US cents/lb. In September 2022, the I-CIP fluctuated in between 193.28 and 206.37 US cents/lb.

Average prices for all groups indicators decreased in September 2022, except for the Robustas, which had an uptick of 1.6% from August to September 2022. The Robustas averaged 111.36 US cents/lb for the month of September. The Colombian Milds and Other Milds, decreased by 0.5% and 0.3% respectively, month-on-month in September. The former averaged 294.09 US cents/lb in September 2022, whilst the latter averaged 267.49 US cents/lb. The upturns are in part due to the average 2nd and 3rd positions of the ICE New York futures market, which lost 0.1% in September 2022 over August 2022. The average of the 2nd and 3rd positions of the ICE (International Coffee Exchange) Futures Europe for the Robustas grew by 1.8%.

The Brazilian Naturals-Robusta differential took the hardest hit from August to September 2022, retracting 3.6% from 112.26 to 108.23 US cents/lb as growth of the Robustas outpaced the Brazilian Naturals. The Colombian Milds-Other Milds differential sustained a 2.3% loss for the aforementioned period, whilst the Colombian Milds-Robustas differential shrank by 1.8%. The Colombian Milds-Brazilian Naturals differential grew by 1% to 74.50 US cents/lb in September 2022. The strongest growth among all the differentials was observed for the Other Milds-Brazilian Naturals differential, gaining 3.0%, ranging 46.52 to 47.90 US cents/lb for their respective monthly averages. Lastly, the Other Milds-Robustas differential lost 1.7% from August to September 2022. The average of the monthly differential stood at 156.13 US cents/lb, down from 158.78 in August 2022.

The arbitrage between the New York and London Futures markets shrunk by 1.7%, falling to 117.74 US Cents/lb in September 2022 from 119.79 US cents/lb in August 2022.

Intra-day volatility of the I-CIP decreased 2.0 percentage points between August and September 2022, reaching a low of 8.3%. Robustas and the London futures market presented the lowest volatility amongst all group indicators, at 7.3% and 7.0% in September 2022. The Brazilian Naturals volatility, was the highest amongst the group indicators, averaging 10.9%, a 2.4 percentage point decrease from the previous month. The variation in volatility of the Colombian Milds and Other Milds for August to September 2022 is -2.0 to 8.0% and -2.8 to 8.6%, respectively. The New York futures market remained the most volatile, albeit posting a decrease of 3.4 percentage points, averaging 11.2% for the month of September 2022.

The New York certified stocks decreased 37.2% from the previous month, closing in at 0.45 million bags, whilst certified stocks of Robusta coffee reached 1.59 million bags, representing a decrease of 0.8%.

Export by Coffee Groups
Global exports of green beans in August 2022 totalled 8.83 million bags, compared with 9.17 million bags in the same month of the previous year, down 3.7%. The downturn was spread across all groups of coffee, with the exception of the Brazilian Naturals, which saw a 7.1% increase in August 2022 as compared with the same month a year ago. The second consecutive month of negative growth has pushed the cumulative total exports of green beans for the first 11 months of coffee year 2021/22 further into red, down 1.0% as compared to 0.7% decrease for the first 10 months of the current coffee year. The cumulative total for 2021/22 to August is 107.05 million bags as compared with 108.13 million bags over the same period a year ago.

Exports of the Colombian Milds decreased by 23.0% to 0.86 million bags in August 2022 from 1.12 million bags in August 2021, driven primarily by Colombia, the main origin of this group of coffee, whose exports of green beans were down 25.6% in August 2022. As a result of the relatively sharp downturn, exports of the Colombian Milds in October 2021–August 2022 were down by 5.7% at 11.32 million bags, as compared with 12.0 million bags in the first 11 months of coffee year 2020/21. Colombia exported 0.79 million bags of green beans in August 2022, the lowest August exports since 0.54 million bags were shipped in 2012.

The Brazilian Naturals bounced back in August with a 7.1% increase, following a 4.6% fall in July 2022, exporting 2.85 million bags as compared with 2.66 million bags in August 2021. The upturn was driven by Brazil, the biggest producer and exporter of the Brazilian Naturals, with its total green bean exports increasing by 4.6% in August 2022 to 2.44 million bags. However, the cumulative total exports of the Brazilian Naturals for coffee year 2021/22 to August 2022 is down 5.8% at 34.52 million bags, as compared with 36.66 million bags.

Shipments of the Other Milds decreased by 3.7% in August 2022 to 1.94 million bags from 2.01 million bags in the same period last year. This is the fifth consecutive months of fall. As a result, the cumulative volume of exports continued to increase but at a declining rate, falling to 1.3% in the first 11 months of coffee year 2021/22 (22.09 million bags vs 21.08 million bags) from 2.7% in the first 10 months of the same coffee year. Guatemala and Honduras were the two main origins responsible for the latest fall in exports of the Other Milds, with their exports of green beans plunging by 27.7% and 41.3%, respectively.

In Honduras, the coffee industry is struggling with leaf-rust, or roya, which has hit the industry’s harvests, with the country’s coffee association lowering the exports outlook for coffee year 2021/22, twice already, from 5.823 million bags to 4.61 million bags. Guatemala is also dealing with impact of a lower production, due mainly to climatic reasons and availability of labour, that is having a knock-on effect on the country’s exports.

Exports of the Robustas totalled 3.17 million bags in August 2022, as compared with 3.38 million bags in August 2021, down 6.0%. Exports of green beans for the first 11 months of the current and previous coffee years for the Robustas were 42.57 million bags and 41.22 million bags, respectively, up 3.8%. Ethiopia and India are the two main origins behind the latest downturn, suffering from 16.0% and 13.1% decreases, respectively, in August 2022, with their total green bean exports at 0.43 million bags and 0.37 million bags, respectively. India, especially, has had a good year so far, with the total exports of green beans for the first 11 months of coffee year 2021/22 increasing by 31.1% to 4.62 million bags as compared to 3.53 million bags, an increase of 1.1 million bags. As a result, the production/export ratio is falling sharply, down from 1.48 in coffee year 2020/21 to 1.12 in coffee year 2021/22. The ratio is a good indication of supply availability. Therefore, it is possible that the sharp fall in India’s August 2022 exports is a reflection of the supply availability towards the end of a stellar year.

Total exports of soluble coffee increased by 13.2% in August 2022 to 0.98 million bags from 0.87 million bags in August 2021. In the first 11 months of coffee year 2021/22, a total of 11.06 million bags of soluble coffee were exported, representing an increase of 6.3% from the 10.4 million bags exported in the same period during the previous coffee year. The share of soluble coffee of the total exports of all forms of coffee was 9.3% (measured on a moving 12- month average) in August 2022. Brazil is the largest exporter of soluble coffee, shipping 3.58 million bags in the first 11 months of coffee year 2021/22, followed by India with 2.0 million bags, with Indonesia in third place at 1.53 million bags exported over the same period.

Exports of roasted beans increased by 59.9% in August 2022 to 89,548 bags from 55,995 bags in August 2021. The cumulative total for coffee year 2021/22 to August 2022 was 0.75 million bags, as compared with 0.72 million bags in same period a year ago.

Regional Outlook
In October 2021 to August 2022, South America’s exports of all forms of coffee decreased by 23.3% to 50.46 million bags. Brazil and Colombia are the reasons for this large drop in exports. During this period, shipments from Brazil declined by 27.2% to 34.74 million bags from 47.4 million bags in October-August 2020/21. The volume of exports from Colombia is down 18.7% in the first 11 months of coffee year 2021/22 at 11.17 million bags, from 13.74 million bags in the same period a year ago. A smaller crop harvested during its Arabica ‘off-season’, along with problems with containers and shipping, mainly noted during the middle of the current coffee year, explains the large drop in exports of all forms of coffee in Brazil, while the fall in the exports of Colombia is linked to persistent unfavourable weather conditions reducing the available supply of coffee in the country. Nevertheless, Peru is enjoying a good year, with exports of all forms of coffee expanding by 6.1% in the first 11 months of coffee year 2021/22 to 4.05 million bags from 3.82 million bags in the same period a year ago.

Exports of all forms of coffee from Asia & Oceania increased by 2.7% to 3.25 million bags in August 2022 but were down 1.5% to 40.86 million bags in the first 11 months of coffee year 2021/22. Indonesia was the origin behind the uptick for August, with its exports growing by 20.1% to 0.65 million bags from 0.54 million bags in August 2021. However, the country is also the main reason behind the negative cumulative growth of the region for the season so far: exports of all forms of coffee are down 17.8% to 6.24 million bags in the first 11 months of coffee year 2021/22 as compared with 7.59 million bags in the same period a year ago. Vietnam, the region’s biggest producer and export, made a margin gain in August, with the origin’s exports increasing by 0.1% to 1.89 million bags, bringing the year’s total (October 2021 to August 2022) to 26.6 million bags, up 1.8% year-on-year. India’s shipments were down 6.0% in August 2022 to 0.57 million bags, however the total for the first 11 months remains up at 8.5%, 6.64 million bags versus 6.12 million bags in the first 11 months of coffee year 2021/22.

Exports of all forms of coffee from Africa decreased by 11.9% to 1.24 million bags in August 2022 from 1.4 million bags in August 2021. For the first 11 months of the current coffee year, exports totalled 12.48 million bags as compared with 15.44 million bags in coffee year 2020/21. Uganda is the main source of the downturn for the region in August, with its exports falling by 28.5% to 0.5 million bags as compared to 0.7 million bags in August 2021. The cumulative total for coffee year 2021/22 to August 2022 is also down, decreasing by 23.0% to 5.35 million bags from 6.94 million bags in the same period a year ago. The decrease in exports was mainly due to the impact of drought in most of the coffee growing regions, which led to a lower and shorter main harvest season in central and eastern parts of Uganda, and hence lower output.

In August 2022, exports of all forms of coffee from Mexico & Central America were down 7.4% to 1.19 million bags as compared with 1.29 million in August 2021. For the first 11 months of the current coffee year, exports are down 13.0%, totalling 15.07 million bags as compared with 17.34 million bags in October–August 2020/21. The region’s sharp downturn in August was due Guatemala and Honduras, down 27.8% and 41.3%, respectively. For the first 11 months of coffee year 2021/22, the total exports are 3.16 million bags and 4.53 million bags, for the two origins, respectively, down 15.6% and 24.0%. The reason for the poor performance of the two origins has already been explained in the “Exports by Coffee Groups” section above.

Production and Consumption
The provisional outlook for total production in coffee year 2021/22 remains unchanged at 167.2 million bags, a 2.1% decrease as compared to 170.83 million bags in the previous coffee year. World coffee consumption is projected to grow by 3.3% to 170.3 million 60-kg bags in 2021/22 as compared to 164.9 million for coffee year 2020/21. In 2021/22, consumption is expected to exceed production by 3.1 million bags.

For the full report, visit: ico.org.

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To fuel its sustainability goals, Dunkin’ has partnered with like-minded organisations. Together they’re working to support the regions where Dunkin’s coffee grows and make a difference in the lives and livelihoods of coffee farmers and producers.

The Dunkin’ Drive-To Sustainability Program is comprised of three pillars: verification, partnerships, and improvement. As part of the first pillar, we are partnering with Enveritas, a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded to overcome systemic barriers that prevent the application of proven solutions for ending poverty among smallholder coffee growers.

By leveraging its Coffee Policy and third-party verification with Enveritas, Dunkin’ aims to improve standards with US roasters and international licensees, audit its US coffee supply chain to ensure policy compliance, and track key performance indicators toward continuous improvement efforts.

Some of Dunkin’s efforts under its pillars of Partnerships and Improvement include:
• Supported the planting of 450,000 trees in coffee growing regions of Honduras and Guatemala in 2021 with a donation to One Tree Planted, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to helping the environment by planting trees in countries around the world.
• Trained farmers and farmworkers in Honduras through its Farmworker Training Project alongside the Louis Dreyfus Company. This project enhanced Dunkin’s suppliers’ abilities to make improvements on sustainability issues.
• Boosting coffee sustainability through agricultural science as a leading sponsor of the nonprofit World Coffee Research (WCR). A percentage of sales from every pound of Original Blend coffee beans sold to Dunkin’ franchisees for use in Dunkin’ restaurants go to WCR.
• Since 2018, Dunkin’ has been a part of The Sustainable Coffee Challenge, a collaborative effort led by Conservation International to make coffee the world’s first sustainable agricultural product.
• To empower women in coffee, Dunkin’ has supported providing coffee suppliers in Guatemala and Colombia with access to Equal Origins’ Virtual Learning Journey.
• Over the next three years, alongside global agri-business company Olam Food Ingredients (OFI), Dunkin’ will help 350 coffee-farming families in Santa Barbara and Comayagua, Honduras become more economically sustainable and better environmental stewards through trainings and improved crop yields.

To learn more, visit impact.inspirebrands.com.

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The new publication provides insights on the sustainable coffee purchases of JDE Peet’s, Melitta Group, Keurig Dr Pepper, Nestlé, Strauss Coffee, SUPRACAFÉ, Tesco and Westrock Coffee, all of whom have committed to disclosing their responsible sourcing progress using aligned, comparable metrics. According to GCP, the eight leading coffee companies have taken exemplary public action by transparently sharing their sustainable coffee purchase volumes in the new report, published on Tuesday.

“Over the past four years, innovative Collective Reporting of Sustainable Coffee Purchases from prominent coffee companies in GCP’s Snapshot has provided transparent information showing the sector how increases of sustainable coffee purchases are expanding the global marketplace for sustainable coffees,” said GCP executive director, Annette Pensel. “As regulatory, financial and reporting environments continue to evolve, GCP Snapshot partners are providing substantial leadership, actions, and impact to foster increased production and consumption of sustainable coffees throughout the world.”

This year’s report is the result of GCP’s expanding collective reporting efforts, which has included new participating GCP Members, new reporting features, and an expansion of sustainability schemes eligible for reporting by using the GCP Baseline Coffee Code as a reference. The following GCP-recognised sustainability schemes have been included for reporting on 2021 volumes:

•3rd Party Schemes: 4C, Certifica Minas, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance/UTZ, and Starbucks’ C.A.F.E. Practices;
•2nd Party Schemes: Ecom’s SMS, Enveritas Gold, Enveritas Green, Nespresso AAA, ofi’s AtSource Entry Verified and AtSource Plus, LIFT by Mercon, and Neumann’s NKG Bloom.

Highlights of the GCP Snapshot include data on the increasing share of sustainable coffee purchases as reported by GCP Members for 2021, climbing up to 1,254,141 MT (55% of total received green coffee – a relative increase of 29% compared to 2020). The report also presents the breakdown of purchases per participating company, as well as a feature on companies’ sustainable coffee purchases according to sourcing regions. Moreover, it offers insights into origin diversity (sustainable coffee purchases received from 33 coffee-producing countries), and the shares of sustainable coffee purchased according to different GCP-recognised sustainability schemes.

“While important work is underway, even bolder individual and collaborative efforts are needed to achieve transformational change that results in economic viability of sustainable coffee farming and a living income for producers and workers while preserving nature and addressing climate change, effectively,” said Pensel. “We’re excited by the progress made and look forward to welcoming more roasters and retailers reporting in the next GCP Snapshot.”

The full report is available to read here.

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