As
we tackle the issue of sustainability in coffee - from crop to cup, we
must consider several complex challenges inclusive of climate change,
socio-economic considerations, community dynamics, and political conditions
that are present in many coffee-growing countries.
What
is ‘sustainable coffee’? You perhaps
have heard this term several times with various meanings, let’s discuss what it
means… the word “sustainability” is used in reference to
blue
carbon, ecosystem, climate adaptation, environmental responsibility
In some ways the meaning or indeed the understanding of the word has shifted over time. Climate change, fair prices, reduced biodiversity, farmers living in poverty, fair wages, environmental responsibility, economic sustainability is summed up into 3 P’s or core areas:
How do we grow coffee, increase consumption, ensure societal benefits without compromise to the future generations.
Small farmers across the globe rely very heavily on coffee to support themselves and their families. Smallholder farmers produce some 60% of the world's coffee, that some 120 million persons.
As in any other sector, profitability within the coffee sector is important - coffee buyers aim to buy low and sell high. Markets are increasingly volatile. This creates challenges on all sides but particularly for the farmers and the farmhands. Often farmers feel exploited with the maintenance of artificially low prices. This often leads to severe inequality with unavailability of farmhands as workers seek more viable options to sustain their livelihoods. The introduction of more aggressive production systems which require higher risks and higher investments add to the conundrum as in real-dollar prices, farmers earn less than they did in years gone by. For those farmers who remain faithful to the industry – some feel compelled to clear more forests, rely on the cheap labour (child labour in some situations); use low-quality pesticides amongst other considerations in order to make enough money to live, to survive and to sustain their families.
The instability of coffee prices have a direct impact on community livelihood – access to education, access to proper healthcare, proper transportation and lives basic necessities. This in turn directly impacts on the viability and profitability of coffee farming communities as the cost of transporting the harvest and buying tools become prohibitively high.
Many of the world’s coffee-producing countries experience extreme poverty and lack effective social infrastructure. This leaves coffee farmers, coffee producers and their families are incredibly vulnerable.
Social sustainability is therefore very strongly tied to the economic sustainability of the coffee industry in communities around the world.
The universal challenge for coffee farmers worldwide is simply to derive a living income from coffee.
When we refer to sustainable coffee we refer to ‘coffee that is grown in a way that conserves nature and provides better livelihoods for the farmers who grow and process the coffee and their families. As we move to increase domestic consumption in coffee we need to ensure that coffee becomes more than simply a ‘buzz word’. As we speak to sustainability in coffee we look at the long-term economic, environmental, and social health of the coffee industry. From the first international coffee agreement back in 1962, the topic of sustainability has been important. Then there was a discussion of ‘how to limit the amount of excess on the market to ensure economic sustainability. The coffee industry must be dedicated to building a truly sustainable supply chain.
According to the Oxford dictionary biodiversity is ‘the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat, a high level of which is usually considered to be important and desirable’. Though it is often felt that coffee farming has a negative impact on biodiversity, many can agree that some coffee farming methods are more destructive than others. The majority of coffee is produced on monoculture farms (farmers grow only crops) resulting in a reduction in biodiversity however, those coffee farms with shade trees encourage biodiversity and facilitate birds and other wildlife populations. The World Economic Forum indicates that intensive sun-grown coffee farms often experience pollination and pest problems. This increases reliance on pesticides and further perpetuates ecological degradation.
Environmental sustainability is one of the most pressing issues facing the world today, this is no different in the world of coffee. Farming requires significant resources with agriculture driving some 80% of tropical deforestation. Estimated to reach a global population 9.8 billion by 2050 the environmental impacts of agriculture inclusive of coffee becomes ever more prominent. According to Water Footprint Network the global average water footprint of a 125 ml cup of coffee is 140 liters. The coffee industry impacts the environment from the farms – deforestation, use of harmful pesticides through to the processing side. Both the import-export sides of coffee see environmental impacts. Producing countries have concerns with wet-milling on streams and drinking water. If polluted processing water is allowed to enter into the local waterways, this can cause disease and death in plants, animals, and humans.
Climate change is impacting farmers with drought and flooding becoming more widespread precipitation becoming more volatile and rising temperatures being experience across countries, regions and the globe. Unpredictable climates will have a direct impact on crop quality and in turn farmers’ income. Countries producing speciality coffee are particularly vulnerable to climate change as with higher-altitude coffees rising temperatures may force farmers further up mountain sides to seek out the cooler temperatures that speciality coffee needs, where there is less land available. Speciality coffee often
Challenges with Growing Coffee in an Environmentally Sustainable Manner
In many countries coffee is grown in tropical forests, and on steep slopes and hillsides. When farmers want to expand their coffee plantations, it is often easiest for them to cut down some of the surrounding forest. If care is not taken there can be major erosion and sedimentation of waterways. In addition, processing coffee is water-intensive, and the wastewater can contaminate rivers and streams. Taken together, these practices quickly become unsustainable.
